Burge Family Winemakers
Barossa , South Australia
Winery Overview
Nestled in the southern end of the Barossa Valley near the sleepy village of Lyndoch, sits the winery and cellar door for Burge Family Winemakers. With an altitude of 170m AMSL, the Burge Family vineyards are at the lowest point of the Valley, situated to get the best of the long summer days that give perfect ripening conditions each year.
The vineyard features a mix of traditional and non-traditional red varieties including premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Tinta Cao, Sousao and Grenache. The vineyard steeped in history, includes “Centenarian” Grenache vines planted in the early 1900s. These vines, planted over a century ago when dry-farm technique required careful site selection, have stood the test of time, and produce fruit with a deep concentration and tannin structure for mid to long term cellaring.
The Burge family started the wine company in 1928, but after several lost years, the third generation picked up the baton in the 1950s and continued the family tradition. Rick Burge took over the stewardship of Burge Family from his father in the 1980s. He was at the helm for over 30 years before he passed the company vineyards and brand over to a new generation of wine lovers, the Wilsford Group. A vineyard at the northern end of the Barossa in Stockwell was purchased in 2019 to supplement the super-premium range.
The Burge Family collection of wines includes three tiers, starting with the Wilsford range which includes a Grenache Shiraz Roussanne blend and Shiraz. The Homestead range, which features a drawing of the original home built in 1905, now a bed and breakfast, includes Grenache and the Portuguese varieties Tinta Cao and Sousao. The super-premium Draycott range of wines feature premium fruit from our oldest vines on the vineyard and includes Cabernet Sauvignon and a blend of Cabernet Shiraz.
Seeking Distribution in
Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, USA, Vietnam
Winemaker Bio
Derek Fitzgerald studied a Graduate Diploma in Oenology at Adelaide University after completing a Chemical Engineering degree in 1998.
His career started in the Hunter Valley NSW before working for a year in the Great Southern region of WA. Since the mid 2000s Derek has worked in various wineries in South Australia with fruit from Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale, and Langhorne Creek.
He commenced his role as Chief Winemaker at Burge Family in 2018.
