The Artisans of the Barossa is a community of eight unique wine brands, formed to showcase their commitment to small-batch Barossa winemaking. Our alignment of these eight winemakers means you can taste over 100 Barossa wines under one roof – an opportunity often unavailable to small wine producers.

Each of our Artisan winemakers offer something different, and we are proud to showcase their craft.

The story of Purple Hand Wines

Purple Hand Wines formed with two good mates coming together to make wine in the Barossa. In 2006, Craig Stansborough and Mark Slade made just over a tonne of Shiraz in Craig’s shed for their first vintage. Fast forward sixteen years, they now have three different wine labels – Purple Hand Wines, After Five Wine Co. and Planta Circa.

Grapes are sourced from their home base in the Southern Barossa, where they have access to a 32-acre vineyard planted with Shiraz, Montepulciano and Aglianico. The wines are soft and supple, and we love the influence of famous Italian varieties such as Aglianico and Montepulciano – which also showcases the suitability of the Barossa Valley for planting these grape varieties.

Reasons to love Purple Hand Wines  

We love Stansborough and Slade’s passion for wine – even the name of their label is a tribute to the industry. If you don’t know a winemaker personally – often their hands become stained purple during vintage due to the consistent contact with grape skins and the juice.

Their mission is to produce balanced, fruit-driven wines, meaning they can be consumed as young wines but will also become more exciting as they age.

Taste the range of Purple Hands Wines at Artisans of the Barossa, or shop their collection via our online store.