Dutschke Wines

Dutschke Wines is rooted in a Barossa property acquired by Wayne Dutschke’s grandfather, Oscar Semmler, in the 1930s, when mixed farming still outweighed vineyard planting. Oscar’s son Ken began planting Shiraz in 1975, laying the modern foundation for a block that also came to include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Ken and Wayne retained part of the crop for their own first crush in 1990, releasing wine under the WillowBend name before adopting Dutschke Wines with the 1998 vintage.

Wayne and Brenda run the small, family-owned winery, focusing on Barossa reds and fortified wines. After years of making and storing wine in borrowed corners, the family completed its own Shed in 2004 and brought the 2005 vintage through it from crush onward.