Showcasing South Australia

It is a long way from Chicago to McLaren Vale. And when that distance includes time in Paris, Portland and then New York City as head sommelier under 2 Star Michelin Chef David Bouley, you know this guy has found his place,

Landing in McLaren Vale Brad Hickey met Nicole Thorpe in 2007. She had deep roots in McLaren Vale, where several generations of her family had worked to provide the local vineyards with much-needed water. He was a resolute wanderer who dropped in to work his first vintage. And so their story began.

Seeing how the Shiraz and Cabernet were hit the hardest by the drought, the pair began to investigate different grapes, which might fare better in the harsh conditions. Nero d'Avola was first  to be identified. Since then, their interest in little-known or outre varietals has grown to encompass Zibibbo, Cinsault and the grape Crystal.

Brash Higgins has grown from, and been shaped by, Brad & Nicole’s passions -- for McLaren Vale, for their patch of dirt off of the Gulf, for grapes and varietals from the stalwart to the obscure, for pushing boundaries, for exploring every technique available to help make great wine.