Lumen Autumn 2017 - Flipbook - Page 22
story by Ian Williams
Finding inspiration
among the vines
Corrina Wright was in the middle of a commerce degree with
plans to do commerce-law, when she had one of those lifechanging, light-bulb moments – she wanted to be a winemaker.
T
o be fair, it wasn’t a total surprise.
Corrina grew up among the vines
at her family’s Oliver’s Taranga
Vineyards in McLaren Vale and is the
sixth generation to live there.
“I always thought I wanted to be a
lawyer but sometimes you don’t always
see the opportunities that are right there
in front of you,” says Corrina.
Her late switch worked out perfectly –
both professionally and romantically.
After finishing her commerce degree
at the University of Adelaide in late 1993,
she took a year off and then re-enrolled
in oenology.
It was during her second round of
studies that Corrina met her future
husband, Dan Wright, who was studying
viticulture at the University.
“My degree coincided with the
course’s move from Roseworthy to
Waite with all the new facilities, and we
had AWRI (Australian Wine Research
Institute) and GWRDC (Grape and Wine
Research and Development Corporation)
on our doorstep, which was pretty
awesome,” she says.
“My final year also involved an
exchange with the University of
California Davis wine school, so it was an
amazing opportunity.”
20 Lumen | Winter 2017
Living expenses for her US studies were
sponsored by the former Southcorp Wines
and she was a graduate winemaker with
the company when she returned.
The experience meant she was ideally
placed to help her family extend its
vineyard operations with the opening
of a winery and cellar door on their
100-hectare property.
Today Corrina makes award-winning
wines for the business while Dan plays a
key role in the family’s vineyards, which
regularly supply grapes for Penfolds
Grange and other top quality wines.
“We produce about 10,000 cases
annually through our own winery and
about two-thirds of our grapes are bought
by other producers,” she says.
Corrina is director, winemaker and
marketer for the business and has just
added beer taster to her long list of skills.
“Dan has always envisaged launching
a beer label and we’ve currently got an
application with council to build a brewery
on our property,” she says.
Their micro-brewing business Swell
Brewing Co is already making waves
among craft beer enthusiasts.
Right: Corrina Wright
