An iconic Australian wine brand lands in New Zealand

Orlando-Bottles-1912-Orlando-trademark-appears

Iconic Australian wine brand, Orlando, looks to impress as it arrives in New Zealand with the launch of their Legends and New Heroes range.

Raised through one of the founding families of South Australian winemaking, Orlando became a household name in the 1950s and 1960s and was recognised as one of the biggest producers of quality wine in Australia.

Orlando led Australian winemaking at pivotal times in history, challenging the status quo at a time when fortified wines dominated the industry. The visionaries of Orlando led technological innovation in Australian winemaking, for example importing the first temperature-controlled pressure fermentation tanks from Germany which introduced Australia to a revolutionary new method of table wine production.

Continuing that vision today is Orlando Chief Winemaker Ben Thoman, a South Australian local, born in the Adelaide Hills. Winemaking wasn’t always in Thoman’s future, originally working as an engineer, a change in career was sparked after nearly a decade of passion for food and wine

Having been an avid homebrewer from the late 90s, much like in engineering he was always interested in creating something that was more than the sum of its parts and was intrigued by winemaking.

“Orlando’s winemaking history, and the legendary name that comes with it, is founded on exploring new opportunities yet respecting what’s already been discovered and proven. I look forward to introducing New Zealand to these amazing icons and next generation wines,” says Ben Thoman, Orlando Chief Winemaker.

Since 1980 Orlando has won over 1000 awards and accolades. The philosophy of the brand has always been to produce exemplary regional wines that provide a sense of place and tell a story of Australian winemaking.

The Legends capture all that is great about Australian classics with iconic wines such as Steingarten, Centenary Hill, Jacaranda Ridge and Lawson’s, with The New Heroes set to introduce New Zealand wine drinkers to modern Australian wines with true varietal expression and sense of place.

Under the skilled hand of Thoman, the Orlando portfolio features regionally focused wines with five in The Legends range, and three under the New Heroes collection. Discover Orlando for yourself and enjoy a glass of what this Australian wine legacy has to offer with some excellent local New Zealand cuisine matches below.