Indigo Wine Co

Andrew ‘Ox’ Hardy is one of Australia’s most respected winemakers and a wonderfully charismatic custodian of one of South Australia’s great wine legacies. The great-great-grandson of pioneering winemaker Thomas Hardy, Ox has spent more than four decades making wine across some of Australia’s finest regions, including many years at celebrated estates Petaluma and Knappstein.

Today, his focus is firmly on Ox Hardy Wines, his personal label based at the family’s historic Upper Tintara vineyard in McLaren Vale. Here, among ancient vines and beautifully preserved slate fermenters dating back to 1863, Ox produces elegant, expressive wines that allow the character of the vineyard to shine through. The jewel in the collection is the 1891 Ancestor Vine Shiraz, made from remarkable old vines planted by his family more than 130 years ago.

Warm, entertaining and entirely unpretentious, Ox brings the stories, personalities and history of Australian wine vividly to life. Spending time with him is about far more than tasting exceptional wine—it is an opportunity to experience McLaren Vale through the eyes of someone whose family has helped shape the region for generations.