The idea for Two Hands was born in September 1999 when founders Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz sat at a friend’s engagement party and decided it was time to make their own wine and market it on the world stage.
The original aim was, and still is, to make the best possible Shiraz-based wines from prized growing regions throughout Australia. With so much Australian wine being sold around the globe under multi-region labels in a formulaic style, the intention was to break the mold and showcase the diversity of Australian Shiraz by highlighting regional and vineyard characteristics by allowing the fruit to be the primary feature of the wines.
Two Hands’ first vintage was in 2000, after a modest $30,000 investment and starting with just 17 tons of fruit. The journey had started. Over the course of the next decade, Two Hands grew and earned numerous accolades. In November 2012, Two Hands was named in the Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 for the 10th consecutive year, an achievement without equal by any winery the world over.
Today, Two Hands is owned by Twelftree, together with Colorado native Tim Hower. Tim’s love of the Barossa Valley led him to acquire several premium vineyards across the region and brought him into contact with Two Hands, culminating in his investment in February 2015. Since Tim’s involvement, Two Hands has gone on to secure additional estate vineyards, notably the Holy Grail site on Seppeltsfield Road, which is set for further vineyard development in 2016. With Michael and Tim sharing an ambitious vision for the future, Two Hands’ next chapter in the journey is sure to be exciting.
Owen Bargreen recently posted a comprehensive article about Two Trees. He wrote, “One of the great houses of the Barossa Valley, Two Hands relies the
Joey Casco of Grapes & Capes and The Wine Stalker featured Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Two Hands Angel’s Share Shiraz 2018, and
Joey Casco of Grapes & Capes and The Wine Stalker gave Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz 2018 a rave review and described it as “an
The 2016 Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon was the only red wine featured in the New York Times 2018 Valentine’s Day Gift Guide.
Featured in the December 6th issue Wine Spectator Insider, MaryAnn Worobiec awarded Two Hands with two outstanding scores: 93 points: Two Hands 2016 Gnarly Dudes
Wine Spectator Insider, Two Hands earns eleven 92+ point ratings and stunning reviews from MaryAnn Worobiec: 95 points: Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Secret Block
Wine Spectator Insider, Two Hands earns four 93+ point ratings for its outstanding 2015 vintage: 95 points: Two Hands Shiraz McLaren Vale Dave’s Block Single
The Manual included Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz in their list of favorite wines to take to Thanksgiving dinner: Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz Barossa
Michael Austin of the Chicago Tribune listed a dozen Australian Shiraz to try, including the 2015 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz: 2015 Two Hands Gnarly
The NY Daily News included Two Hands Angels’ Share in their rundown of wines to pair with cookouts: Two Hands Angels’ Share 2015 Shiraz Purple
The Wine Spectator’s MaryAnn Worobiec has a big report on Australia in the March 31, 2017, issue of the magazine, and Two Hands is featured in
