Lunar Wines: A small wine company

My History

Before I became a winemaker I was 3 ½ years into a cheffing apprenticeship. It was during this time that I met a few of the young emerging winemakers of the Barossa and through those talented individuals I was introduced to the other finer points of wine and winemaking (and wine drinking). My enthusiasm for the craft grew and grew to the point where I terminated my apprenticeship and pursued my interest in the wine industry. My first job was picking grapes for Rolf Binder and it was during this vintage that I began making my own wine. My efforts didn't go unnoticed and the next year I was working as a cellar hand for Rockford Wines where I spent many days learning about delicious reds. After four years of working for Rockford in most areas of the business I wanted to start my own label.

History of Lunar Wines

Lunar wines started back in the shed red days, I'd work all day at Rockford and after work ride my bike to Paul Lindner's (Langmeil Wines) backyard shed where I'd be crushing or pressing into the early hours, some of my mates called me a Lunatic for doing this and the name kind of stuck with me.

It wasn't until 2004 that I established Lunar Wines. I sold my house and put it all into starting Lunar. I went out sourcing grapes in the Marananga and Greenock region, the grapes that came from the red clay and iron stone soils were perfect for the wines I wanted to create. Using pitchfork and shovel I open fermented and basket pressed my way through vintage. Fruit sourced from Dorrien, Ebenezer and Seppeltsfield as well as fruit from our dry grown vineyard in Marananga was turning into luscious black wine. Great results were achieved and the blend hasn't changed.

Now days Lunar is still moving ahead despite the ever-changing face of the wine industry .

As well as a few vintages in Spain, I've also been making wine for my parents label Viking Wines since 2008 and also one of my growers under the Buckland Estate label from 2005. Both Labels are single vineyard wines and are great to work with, but for me Lunar is the one that excites me the most as it contains all the goodness of all the western sub regions, a well balanced wine with fruit power and structure to carry it through the years.

I hope you enjoy this wine as much as I enjoy making it, the Barossa is a unique region with unique expressions in it's wines and in making this wine I hope to have captured a piece of this region in a pure and unmanipulated way.

Enjoy.

COREY CHAPLIN
WINEMAKER / DIRECTOR / LUNAR WINES