EVERY BOTTLE BEGINSWITH A STORY
Our path from shaping bold wines through experience and dedication.
Our Story
Larry Costa, a former hairdresser, started off making wines as a hobby during the 90’s. During the late 90’s Larry was forced into an early retirement from hairdressing due to an eye illness (macular degeneration) and turned to winemaking on a more serious note.
Larry’s son, Michael Costa, undertook and completed the Bachelor of Oenology Degree at the University of Adelaide, with Flying Winemaker stints both in Italy and France to gain further knowledge in making wines. Tenafeate Creek Wines first release was in 2002, when they made a Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese all sourced from One Tree Hill Vineyards.
THE WINERY
Today, Tenafeate Creek Wines produces over 20 different wine styles, but still retaining that small batch, traditional, hands on methodology on winemaking.
A One Tree Hill residence back in the 1800’s called the Homestead – “Tenafeate”, this is an adaptation of a Gaelic name meaning ‘The Whistling House’. The Tenafeate Homestead was situated near a running creek which therefore gave rise to the name “Tenafeate Creek”. Pronounced “TEN-a-feet,” Tenafeate Creek Wines is known for its bold wines and rich character.
OUR AWARDS
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY
A rigorous selection of high quality fruit is undertaken during harvest, from a spread of 8 different vineyards. The reds and rose’ are solely from One Tree Hill vineyards, where the whites are sourced from slightly cooler sites – Adelaide Hills for the Sauvignon Blanc and Eden Valley for the Pinot Grigio. This selection rocess is deliberately undertaken to maximise the quality and unique style of Tenafeate Creek Wines. While the reds are fruit-driven with underlying power and great balance, the whites are sourced from higher altitude sites where cooler climatic conditions are evident. The cooler sites (Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills) have a slower ripening period, and give rise to fruit having more natural acidity and crisp
refreshing flavours, which is a hallmark in the whites we aim to produce.
OUR JOURNEY IN MOTION
Step into our world and watch the stories unfold.