Vinous Australis was founded in 2005 by winemaker Peter Flewellyn and his family with the mission of bridging the gap between Australian vineyards and wine consumers globally. Vinous Australis focuses on producing a portfolio of branded wines that highlight the unique characteristics of South Australia’s premier vineyards through a dedicated hands on approach to grape growing and winemaking, complemented by story telling brands.

Peter Flewellyn, a fourth-generation grape grower and winemaker, was raised on a family vineyard in the Riverland of South Australia. This upbringing instilled in him a deep respect for the dedicated grape growers who contribute significantly to the industry. The Flewellyn family’s grape-growing legacy extends back to Peter’s great-great grandfather, an original soldier settler who founded some of the region’s pioneering vineyards in Blanchetown and Barmera. Peters’ mother and sister continue to cultivate vineyards in the Riverland, producing grapes for our Loveday Ridge range of wines.

Peter’s interest in the wine industry motivated him to work in the cellar at Berri Estates, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest winery at the time. Following, studies at Roseworthy Agricultural College and three vintages at Berri Estates, Peter embarked on a decade of international experience as a flying winemaker, collaborating with viticulturists and winemakers globally. Now headquartered on a hillside vineyard in Willunga, South Australia, overlooking the McLaren Vale wine region and Gulf St Vincent, Peter Flewellyn and his family oversee the Angustum Shiraz vineyard, from which the flagship Angustum wines are produced. In addition to the family-owned and managed vineyards, Vinous Australis collaborates closely with partner growers to cultivate a diverse portfolio of handcrafted wines that embody the distinctive characteristics of both varietals and the regions from which they are grown.

With extensive experience in export logistics, Vinous Australis provides comprehensive wine export services worldwide. The wine range continues to evolve as the company remains adaptable and efficient, striving to meet the evolving demands of the expanding global market. Leveraging its flexible wine industry resources and expertise, Vinous Australis delivers exceptional wines with consistent character to its clients globally.

VINOUS AUSTRALIS – OUR WINES, OUR PRIDE

Upon completing his studies in 1992, Peter was offered a position on a joint venture winemaking team between Penfolds, Hugh Ryman and Hincesti winery in Moldova. After successfully completing a challenging vintage in Moldova, Peter returned to the Barossa Valley to work the vintage under Stuart Blackwell at St. Halletts in Tanunda. Upon the completion of the Barossa vintage, Peter returned to Moldova for a second vintage via the trans-Siberian railway and subsequently joined the Hugh Ryman winemaking team on a full-time basis.

Over the next eight years, Peter served as a “Flying Winemaker,” travelling between the southern and northern hemispheres for vintages each year. He relocated to various bases in Europe, Eastern Europe, South American and South Africa. Peter was promoted within the company to Chief Winemaker and Production Manager, based in the company’s Bordeaux office. From there, he oversaw winemaking and production operations for the company’s international operations, travelling frequently to winery partners around the globe while hosting buyers, journalists and customers and making frequent market visits for sales and marketing activities.

During his tenure as a flying winemaker, based in various wine-producing regions globally, including France (Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Provence, Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon, Spain (Conca de Barbera, Rueda, Carignana, Penedes), Argentina (Mendoza), South Africa (Stellenbosch, Oilfants River)), Peter acquired extensive experience and expertise in both winemaking techniques and a diverse range of grape varieties.

In 2000, Peter returned to Australia to assist in the planning, and development of a new winery and restaurant business in Geelong, Victoria. Accepting the position of Winemaker, Peter played a pivotal role in the design, construction, and fit-out of the Pettavel winery complex in Waurn Ponds. Peter’s role also included setting up domestic distribution channels and drawing on his contacts to expand the export markets of the Pettavel brands around the world. The state-of-the-art winery, designed to minimise handling and preserve natural grape flavours, showcased modern winemaking technology and produced several award-winning wines during Peter’s tenure as winemaker. 

In 2012, Peter relocated to the McLaren Vale wine region in South Australia to further refine the development of the Vinous Australis portfolio. The Vinous Australis head office is now situated in Willunga South, on the Angustum vineyard, where our vineyards, situated on the Willunga Escarpment, thrive in a unique century-old quartzite-based soil. In addition to our Angustum vineyard and Peter’s family vineyards in the Riverland of South Australia, Vinous Australis collaborates closely with several family-owned and managed vineyards to produce a diverse range of wines that showcase the distinctive characteristics of each vineyard from which they are sourced. 

The Vinous Australis portfolio continues to expand as further partnerships are formed with dedicated grape growers across the South Australian. The meticulously crafted wines are marketed with our personalised identity as we work to distribute our pride to consumers around the globe.