Photos courtesy of Paige Cooper.
Paige Cooper, the face behind McLaren Vale’s prestigious Ortus Wines, has announced the company’s plans for a temporary farewell as they take a new step in their life’s journey, but they don’t plan on making a quiet exit.
The winemaker, who gave up her studies and a potential career in biotechnology to embrace her passion for oenology, says the dream was in the pipeline for nearly two decades before she and her mother bought the company and made history as Australia’s first mother-daughter-duo running a winery.
Paige, along with mum Julie, has been working behind the scenes of Ortus Wines since before they purchased the vineyard in 2011, but officially grabbed the reins and took charge of the business in 2021, despite the trials and tribulations of running a business at the height of Covid.
Hoping to pass on the values and traditions of winemaking to her own daughters, Paige insists that her hiatus from winemaking will only be temporary, and comes as the result of several personal tragedies prompting a swift reset and life overhaul.
“Life is short,” says Paige, who tells us that she will be taking a break from winemaking over the winter season – taking up residence in beautiful Indonesia for the next seven months – and assures us that she’ll be returning with a bang in October, bringing the festivities back to McLaren Vale with a reopening party.
The farewell party, scheduled to be held on March 15 on the rolling hills of Ortus’ picturesque Willunga winery, will showcase the gourmet culinary delights of Easy Street’s pizza, and the musical mastery of performer Graham Brown, not to mention, plenty of top-tier drops from Ortus’ cellar door.
An afternoon celebrating local tastes and talents, with good vibes and a relaxed venue, this party invites families, friends, and even their fur-babies, to an open and welcoming environment where you can stretch out on a picnic blanket and bid a momentary adieu to Ortus Wines.
In the meantime, Ortus’ wine club will be running full-steam ahead, with Paige still at the helm, conducting business from abroad.
So, give Ortus Wines the grand send-off they deserve, and celebrate their farewell with fun, flavour, and finesse. Until their grand return in October, watch this space.
Ortus Wines Farewell Event
When: Sunday 15 March, from 11.30am – 4.30pm
Where: 205 Main Road, Willunga, SA, 5172
For more information, click here.
More News
