Sometimes things are just meant to be. Without a chance overseas encounter, WA wouldn’t have Battles Wine.
Back in 2006, young WA winemakers Lance Parkin and Kris Ambrozkiewicz found themselves working at the same US winery. Despite being one year apart at uni, they’d never crossed paths. That chance meeting, a bit of time, and a heap of work led to Battles Wine.
“Lance and I were one year apart at uni but we never really knew each other back then. Both of us ended up in Washington State… he had a Wolfmother t-shirt on and I had hair to my shoulders. That’s where it all started and we had a great time. It’s like a desert climate out there. They grow a lot of Shiraz, a lot of Cabernet, a lot of Riesling… it’s really interesting,” explains Chris.
A few years later and back home in WA, the duo, along with Richard Healy, started the wine brand and launched their first drop (Karridale Chardonnay) in 2019. A handful of years later and Battles Wine has taken out a number of awards and fast become a favourite of wine lovers across the state.
“I was working in a big corporate company and I’d had enough. I said to Chris we should make a Chardonnay… so we went down that path. It was all on the line, all our money. It was quite difficult. The first one was the ‘19 Chardonnay. We got our hands on two-and-a-half tonnes off a grower in south Margs. We picked it all. We drove it all to the winery and did all the work. Really hard labour. We invested all our money and released it. It went really well… it was hands on and small scale. From there we started in the Perth Hills and we were off and running,” says Lance.
If you loved a wine from Battles Wine, be sure to include it in your vote in the Top Up Wines Top 100. Your vote could win you our Top Up Instant Cellar! Valued at more than $7000, our major prize includes 100 bottles of WA wine
and a top of the range wine fridge to keep it cosy.