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McLaren Vale, South Australia

New beginnings with history in every bottle.

Ortus Wines is a boutique, mother-and-daughter-owned winery in Willunga, at the southern edge of McLaren Vale. Established in 2011, Ortus focuses on small-batch, handcrafted wines made from their own estate vineyard and premium fruit sourced from some of South Australia’s top regions. Fittingly, the name “Ortus” means new beginnings — but the family roots run deep.

Julie and Paige Cooper are continuing a legacy that began in the 1800s with the Bittner family — Prussian immigrants and barrel makers who once tended vines in the Barossa Valley. Their motto, “Nothing without labour,” remains the driving force behind Ortus today. Together, Julie’s business expertise and Paige’s formal winemaking training make Ortus one of Australia’s only true mother-and-daughter wine ventures — and a proudly hands-on one at that.

The wines are crafted in limited volumes — sometimes from just two barrels — ensuring exceptional detail, purity, and expressive regional character. Rich, soulful red wines come from their McLaren Vale vineyard, including Shiraz, Grenache from century-old vines, Cabernet and Tempranillo. Crisp, elegant whites are sourced from cooler sites in the Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley, and a sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir adds celebratory flair to the range.

Two women, one family legacy – revived and reimagined.