The history of Two Hands Wines began with a random bottle of Australian Syrah (or Shiraz) wine. It was 1999. The founders of the future winery, Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz were vacationing at their mutual friend's engagement party. They were enjoying the company and Australian Syrah when they suddenly realized that it was time to fulfill their long-held dream: to produce their own wines and sell them around the world.
The young people set themselves a simple and clear goal – to create the best wines from the Syrah variety, which grows in the most prestigious wine regions of Australia. They wanted to break the stereotype of Australian wines as simple and formulaic, lacking depth and versatility. Instead, Michael and Richard decided to let berries express themselves in their full bloom and offered to the world market the drinks emphasizing regional peculiarities of local terroirs and vineyards.
The first Two Hands vintage appeared rather quickly in 2000. A small batch of the new Australian wine was highly appreciated. The first success allowed the young winery to continue developing and expanding.
In 2003, Michael Twelftree was traveling through the Barossa Valley and saw an abandoned estate in the town of Marananga, which later became the new home of Two Hands. The location was perfect to reflect the heritage of the famous wine region, and to create a comfortable, modern, versatile space for visitors. Already by the next Christmas, the doors of the new winery, called Kraehe House, was opened to the public. Kraehe House combined a restaurant, where you can taste local wines, and a cozy bakery. The concept of the new Two Hands establishment had two meanings «hospitality» and «accessibility»: since then and until today, anyone can pop into Kraehe House and allow themselves to taste the wine of the Flagship Shiraz Ares series.