Anyone who has made red wine will know what a pair of purple stained hands look like, and Mark Slade and Craig Stansborough from Purple Hands Wines have certainly made some red wine since their first vintage in 2006.
Being a small producer, Purple Hands really focuses on quality, showcasing the Barossa as well as each patch of dirt that they source grapes from. Based in the southern Barossa areas, they have Shiraz, Montepulciano and Aglianico planted on their 32 Acre vineyard. In addition to this they often source Grenache, Mataro, Negroamaro and Cabernet Sauvignon from other passionate growers in the region.
Having started initially as two good mates getting together in business, Mark and Craig have steadily grown Purple Hands into an award-winning winery producing a range of wines across 4 different labels. They were rated in the Top 10 new 5-star wineries with James Halliday in 2013, won the Most Successful Exhibitor – Small Producer at the Barossa Wine Show in 2019, and, more recently, won 10 medals at the 2021 Barossa Wine Show.
As small businesses often find though, taking the business from essentially being operated from home and giving it a physical presence was difficult and costly. With that in mind, Mark and Craig reached out to their network and found the Artisans of Barossa, a group of likeminded wine makers who had joined together to provide a platform to display their own wineries and leverage their collective networks.
Having been with Lee Green since 2016, Mark approached Lee Green’s Ben Spiers in December 2019 to discuss their intention to invest in the Artisans of Barossa project. “We really appreciate the professional advice and support we get from Ben for doing our BAS and tax, he is always interested and engaging in how the business is going and where we are heading, and able to provide relevant guidance and advice.”
Ben had this to say about the project “We were able to undertake a due diligence assignment on Artisans of Barossa and their related businesses to provide Mark and Craig with some peace of mind that what they were looking to invest in was a solid business with the potential that they had seen”
The assistance Lee Green provided during the due diligence process was appreciated by Mark “Knowing what to ask for and how to analyse it was essential in helping us understand the risks as we entered this exciting and challenging new era in our wine label.”
The investment in Artisans has provided Purple Hands with access to an extended email distribution list and most importantly a physical presence to be able to make their wine available to the public through the Wine Room at Vino Lokal in Tanunda. Over the past 18 months, the Artisans have also built their own purpose-built Wine Room, Restaurant and Function Centre in Tanunda to share over 100 different wines from the eight Artisans, including Purple Hands. This opens on Friday 1st October.
Despite difficult trading conditions in the last 18 months, Purple Hands continues to grow and Ben is excited for the future "It’s fantastic to see businesses adapting to changing economic conditions and collaborating with other like-minded businesses to continue their journey towards success".
You can check out Purple Hands via their website, on social media via Facebook and Instagram and visit them and enjoy truly generous Barossa food and wine at Vino Lokal or the Artisans of Barossa Tasting Room and Restaurant from 1st October.
If Lee Green can help your business succeed, please contact us on (08) 8333 3666 or reception@leegreen.com.au
By Ben Spiers, Associate Director
