The Winery
Torbreck is the name of a forest near Inverness, Scotland, where the former founder and visionary Dave Powell (see below) worked as a lumberjack during his studies. You will find many Celtic references in the names of the wines, including a tribute to the foresters of these rugged highlands. David Powell, founder of Torbreck Vintners, rescued many neglected vineyards in the 1990s by convincing farmers to lease their gnarled vines instead of grubbing them up. Some of the vines are between 40 and 160 years old and rank among the oldest in the world. Powell's expertise from over 25 years in renowned wineries helped him breathe new life into these vines. Just two years later, he was able to harvest outstanding grapes – the starting signal for the founding of Torbreck in 1994.
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The Barossa Valley: Australia's powerhouse wine region
The Barossa Valley is considered Australia's most famous wine region, nestled in the Barossa Ranges and surrounded by nature parks. This hot valley produces powerful red wines, above all Shiraz, which has a centuries-old tradition here. Some of the oldest Shiraz vines were planted around 1840 by German settlers and have survived to this day, as Australia was spared from the phylloxera pest. Although these ancient vines yield low quantities, they produce grapes of exceptional quality. Ranging in age between 40 and 160 years, the vines of Torbreck Vintners are among the oldest in the world.
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The first milestone: RunRig (Image: Founder Dave Powell)
In 1995, Torbreck released its first wine: the "RunRig" Shiraz with a hint of Viognier. This wine was immediately awarded 98 points by the renowned Wine Advocate and made Torbreck internationally famous. Since then, "RunRig" has ranked among the world's best, consistently achieving top scores of up to 100 points. The name refers to an ancient Scottish land distribution system, inspired by Powell’s Scottish roots and his time working as a lumberjack in Torbreck Forest near Inverness. "RunRig" is a Celtic term for a land-sharing system used by Highland clans, in which widely scattered plots were farmed collectively and cooperatively. The name, inspired by a forest near the Scottish city of Inverness, reflects not only the Scottish roots of the Torbreck team but also the winery's beginnings: lacking financial resources, they relied on the old share-farming principle. Torbreck supported local growers in managing their vineyards and, in return, received a portion of the grapes for their own wine production—essentially "RunRig" Australian-style. Today, Torbreck manages some of the most prized vineyards in the Barossa Valley, including the Hillside Vineyard in Lyndoch, the Laird Vineyard in Marananga, and the Greenock Keller Vineyard
