Auld Family Wines – Seven Generations of Barossa Heritage

When Patrick Auld migrated to Adelaide in 1842, he could not have known he was establishing a wine legacy that would span nearly two centuries. After working as a publican and wine merchant, Patrick planted his first vines at the Auldana vineyard in Magill, just outside Adelaide. By 1862, Auldana had become one of the earliest large vineyards in the colony. In 1871, Patrick opened a London office, trading as the Australian Wine Company, becoming one of Australia’s first wine exporters.

If “Auld” had adorned Australian wine labels uninterrupted since the 1840s, it might stand today with Penfolds in national memory. Patrick Auld purchased land in Magill near Captain Penfold, and though “adjacent” may stretch geography, both men established vineyards within years of each other on Adelaide’s eastern fringe. History led the families on divergent paths, but the Auld legacy never truly disappeared from Australian wine.

James Halliday, Australia’s leading wine critic and founder of the Halliday Wine Companion, notes: “The Barossa-based Auld family has been involved with wine for six generations. They rightly celebrate their family history, starting with Patrick Auld, who arrived in SA in 1842 and purchased 147 hectares of land at Magill, adjacent to Captain Penfold.”

Today, seventh-generation winemakers Jock and Sam Auld continue the tradition from Bethany in the hills of Barossa Valley, carrying on a story that binds South Australia’s earliest wine history to the present.

Growing Up Barossa

Jock and Sam Auld’s path to winemaking was shaped by childhood in the thick of Barossa’s vineyards. As they describe it: “Growing up in the Barossa Valley, wine becomes part of your DNA before you’re even old enough to know it. For us, it meant grape seeds cushioning falls from the schoolyard monkey bars, whilst other kids landed on bark chips. It meant bleary-eyed mornings pruning vines as teenagers, and ‘trophies’ in the form of local wine long before we were anywhere near old enough to drink it.”

Their father John spent more than three decades in the Australian wine industry at Saltram Wines Estates, Yalumba Wine Company, and now as director of Jim Barry Wines. Their uncle Patrick was named a Living Legend of the Hunter Valley in 2012 for his service to NSW wine. When Jock and Sam formed Auld Family Wines in 2018, they were reviving a name that had faded from labels but never from South Australian wine culture.

The Wine Range: William Patrick, Strawbridge, Wilberforce, Family Series

William Patrick wines are named for Patrick Auld’s son, who inherited Auldana after his father’s death in 1886 and continued building the family’s wine business. As historical records show, William Patrick later ran W.P. Auld and Sons, extending the Auld legacy into the twentieth century. These flagship Shiraz bottlings are intended for cellaring and serious appreciation, sitting among Barossa’s premium set.

The 2021 William Patrick Shiraz earned 96 points from Sam Kim of Wine Orbit and 95 from Ken Gargett of Wine Pilot. These scores place the wine firmly among today’s top Barossa Shiraz, showing classic power and depth with black and blue fruit, dark chocolate, and the distinctive warmth and structure that mark the region at its best.

Strawbridge is named for Eliza Strawbridge, William Patrick Auld’s wife. It offers a polished middle tier that balances ambition with drinkability, suiting both cellaring and immediate pleasure. Recent vintages have attracted high ratings for generous fruit, warm spice, and textural plushness.

Wilberforce honours a chapter of the Auld family story: William Patrick Auld joined explorer John McDouall Stuart’s sixth expedition across Australia in 1861–62. The Wilberforce name (often attributed to a horse, though primary source confirmation is elusive) acknowledges this spirit of adventure, and the range includes both Shiraz and Riesling, capturing Barossa’s red and white strengths.

The Family Series offers a gateway into Barossa character, with approachable Shiraz, Grenache Rosé, and Pinot Gris at everyday pricing, capturing the classic markers of region and fruit.

Common Molly: The Experimental Side

Besides the heritage-focused label, Jock and Sam also produce the Common Molly range—a contemporary line that pushes into Mediterranean varieties and modern techniques, demonstrating their readiness to innovate even as they honour Barossa’s roots.

Winemaking Philosophy

Sam Auld serves as winemaker and viticulturist, ensuring direct connection between vineyard and bottle. Their estate vines in Bethany benefit from altitude and varied soils, which lend wines both elegance and concentration.

The flagship William Patrick Shiraz spends over a year in French oak to develop structure and complexity; Strawbridge gets less oak, showing classic Barossa fruit. Family Series wines favour freshness and approachability.

The brothers’ perspective: “We respect and appreciate the history that comes with our surname, Auld, although we try not to take ourselves too seriously. We want to make wines that remind us of home. Since childhood, we have spent long periods away from Barossa but have always found comfort in a bottle of local Shiraz. We’re determined to send the best of the Barossa to all corners of the globe.”

Critical Reception

Auld Family Wines draws strong reviews across its range:

• William Patrick Shiraz 2021: 96 points (Sam Kim), 95 (Ken Gargett)

• William Patrick Shiraz 2018: 96 points (Sam Kim), 93 (Dave Brookes)

• Strawbridge Shiraz 2022: 95 points (Sam Kim), 94 (Ken Gargett)

• Strawbridge Shiraz 2017: 18.5/20 (Vino Notebook)

• Family Series 2024 Grenache Rosé: 93 (Sam Kim), 92 (Q Wine Reviews)

Decanter magazine also awarded Auld’s Grenache Rosé 2023 with 90 points, noting it is “pale in colour but packed with flavour from ripe Riverland Grenache… layered with citrus, strawberry, cherry and white peach fruit, with a sprinkling of spice.”

The Wines in Practice

What sets Auld Family Wines apart is quality consistency across every tier. Family Series Shiraz gives a clear sense of Barossa’s hallmark fruit and weight. Strawbridge introduces extra concentration and complexity. William Patrick sits at the top, demanding patience and rewarding serious collectors with longevity and depth.

Across the board, these wines avoid the overripe, jammy pitfalls sometimes found in modern Barossa, favouring brightness, balance, and food compatibility.

Looking Forward

Jock and Sam Auld’s seventh-generation story binds one of Australia’s founding wine names to contemporary Barossa. Their efforts combine respect for tradition with thoughtful innovation, sustaining a lineage that extends back to 1842. As they state: “Every bottle we make reflects the land we love and the stories we carry, whilst hopefully inspiring the next generation of Aulds to pick up the torch. Determined to share Auld Family Wines with all corners of the globe, we want to ignite the memories yet to be made and ensure all can find comfort in a bottle of Barossa wine.”

For those discovering Auld Family Wines now, there is the chance to taste not only from celebrated Barossa soils, but from the continuity and renewal a true family legacy provides in every glass.