Wild Irishman is one of Central Otago's most exciting new projects, bringing together the father of Central Otago Pinot Noir, Alan Brady, and winemaker Brian Shaw. The wines are already some of the best we have tasted from the region. Both Alan and Brian are originally from Northern Ireland. Alan was the first to plant Pinot Noir in Central Otago, all the way back in 1982, and was the founder of Gibbston Valley Vineyard. He was an early shareholder in Felton Road, a mentor to its owner Nigel Greening and the original pioneer of the region’s wines.
Alan was lured out of semi-retirement to help Brian establish Wild Irishman, with Francois Millet, former wine-maker of Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, offering further advice. The project is based in the extreme south of the island's vineyard area in Alexandra. From here, pure and characterful Pinot Noirs are crafted in tiny quantities. There are three labels, with total production across all wines less than 1,000 cases. The wines transparently convey Central Otago's unique signatures across three sub regions, and they do so brilliantly.
