Owners and Vignerons, Owen and Cassandra Inglis, founded Sidewood in 2004, born of their uncompromising vision and passion for creating beautifully balanced, elegant, award-winning wines. Despite Sidewood being a relatively new brand in the wine industry, it has achieved Five Red Star Accreditations from James Halliday and in 2016 became the largest eco-sustainable winery in the Adelaide Hills.

Sustainability and preservation of the environment are high priorities for the viticulturist team at Sidewood Estate. The winery’s vision to create high-quality wines depends on preserving their environment and keeping soil quality at its highest. Adapting to changes in climate and future-proofing the land are all part of Sidewood’s ongoing agenda. Sidewood has implemented many sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. As a result, the estate is now the largest fully accredited sustainable winery in the Adelaide Hills.

The Winery
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Situated in Adelaide Hills, SOUTH Australia

Sidewood estate was founded in 2004 with the Mappinga estate and vineyards. Mappinga, being cooler climate, is the premium site for Sidewood’s Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc wines. The estate has now grown with new vineyards in Nairne and Echunga, which specializes in Shiraz vines. The estate is fully autonomous and all wines are estate grown, vinified, aged, and bottled. They have total control over the entire production from the vineyard to the final bottling of the wines. This hands-on ability allows the winery to control the process from grape to glass, which culminates in some of the highest quality wines in Australia and the world.

The vineyards and environmental conditions are curated with an unwavering focus on excellence in viticulture. Hand-picking and fruit selection play a vital role to ensure that only the best fruit is grown and used in Sidewood wines. The 91ha of vineyards are carefully manicured to ensure the fruit flavour profiles are at their peak when harvested.

The winery is a modern, state-of-the-art facility that includes temperature-controlled rooms, temperature-controlled tanks, a bottling line and a cellar. The winery has a tasting room and restaurant where customers can sample the great wines and enjoy the idyllic setting.

The People
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The Sidewood estate was the vision of Owen Inglis and Cassandra Inglis. They both came from different business backgrounds but they shared a common passion for wine and were united in their goal to produce the highest quality wines. They fell in love with the sloping hills of the Adelaide area and it was here that they set the groundwork for the Sidewood winery. 

Owen’s passion for wine began with his sommelier accreditation and subsequent collection of fine wines. His plans to retire changed with the purchase of the Mappinga property with vines already planted there. Cassandra came from a family of wine lovers and she began her wine education journey at age 18. After a stint at teaching, she continued her wine education by receiving her own sommelier accreditation. Their combined passion for wine led to the creation of Sidewood estates.

Winemaker, Darryl Caitlin oversees the wine process from grape to glass with meticulous attention to detail and a passionate desire to make the owner’s vision a reality. This is evident by the string of awards the wines he is producing are receiving for Sidewood.