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Brothers at War joins Tanunda’s vibrant food and wine scene

An exciting newcomer to the Barossa Valley cellar door scene, Brothers at War, has this month launched a venue on the main street of Tanunda, showcasing the bold wines of brothers Angus and Sam Wardlaw.

Oct 11, 2021, updated Oct 13, 2021
Brothers At War's Angus (left) and Sam Wardlaw. Photo: John Krüger

Brothers At War's Angus (left) and Sam Wardlaw. Photo: John Krüger

The Barossa Valley winemaking brothers made waves in 2015 when they launched Brothers at War Wines and claimed an award for best cabernet sauvignon in the region, which was applauded for a fresh approach to the Barossa’s hero varietals.

Sons of Barossa winemaking pioneer David Wardlaw who worked under Wolf Blass, Angus and Sam launched Brothers at War in partnership with Eden Valley vigneron Chris Alderton.

Brothers at War launched the new cellar door on the October long weekend inside a refurbished character shopfront next door to Darling’s Café on the main street of Tanunda, Murray Street.

With Tanunda experiencing healthy tourist visitation, Angus says the heritage building — formerly a cafe — provided an attractive cellar door location as an entry point into the town’s food and wine scene.

“Early on we talked about having a cellar door at Eden Valley, but being on the main street of Tanunda makes us a lot more accessible for people to come see us and taste our wines, allowing us to showcase Eden Valley; that’s what we’re all about,” says Angus.

“Tanunda is really the hub of the Barossa at the moment, there’s a lot happening and it’s the busiest location in terms of tourism.

“It’s not only restaurants and cellar doors that are popping up, but great shops as well — Tanunda’s becoming a destination where people can come and spend a whole day here and get a really good experience of the Barossa.”

The new Brothers at War tasting rooms in Tanunda.

Angus, Sam and Chris saw great potential in the character shopfront and set about refurbishing it into a warm and intimate cellar door offering tastings and grazing boards.

“When we discovered the building, it was run down and needed some love,” says Angus.

“We saw potential and came in and did a lot of work. We’re very happy with the result.”

“The fit-out of the building has been very well done with a homely and relaxed atmosphere.”

The cellar door is open Thursday to Monday for intimate seated wine tastings and cheese platters, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday afternoons.

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“We offer intimate all-seated wine tastings which are very personable,” says Angus.

Brothers at War has a focus on single-vineyard drops, predominantly using fruit from vigneron and business partner Chris Alderton’s Eden Valley vineyards.

Angus says they have gained attention for a unique approach to winemaking, with a fresh take on the Barossa’s traditional varietals such as mataro, cabernet and shiraz as well as pinot grigio and riesling.

“Our wines are quite different and we’ve always had our own style,” says Angus.

“Very fresh, vibrant and lively, but very clean.

“Although we’re not part of the new natural movement, we are very hands-off and we try not to do too much with our wines.

“We just want to reflect our vineyards and really show them from grape to glass, while respecting the fruit.

“We have access to some really amazing vineyards such as 150-year-old Eden Valley grenache and 90-year-old mataro, and that makes the winemaking part quite easy.”

Angus says there are plans to host monthly dinners showcasing different chefs and cuisines, but the concept is still in an early stage.

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