Recognition from a panel of Master Sommeliers at the Sommeliers Choice Awards doesn’t come easily, especially for a relatively small, independent producer. Yet in 2025, Hare’s Chase, a Barossa Valley winery perched in the ironstone-rich soils of Marananga, earned the title of Red Wine Producer of the Year, alongside four gold medals across its submissions. For Chief Winemaker and General Manager Matt Reynolds, the win is about technical excellence and a reflection of a deep commitment to expressing place, block by block, vintage by vintage. In partnership with U.S. importer Wine 4 Winners, the winery’s bold yet balanced reds are beginning to resonate far beyond their South Australian home, reaching sommeliers, buyers, and drinkers across the American market.

Image: Hare’s Chase Winery.  

First of all, congratulations on Hare’s Chase being named Red Wine Producer of the Year at the 2025 Sommeliers Choice Awards. What does this recognition mean for you personally, and for your team at the winery?

Matt: Being recognised at the Sommeliers Choice Awards by the very professionals who shape the U.S. dining experience is a tremendous honour. Having our wine evaluated and awarded by a panel that includes Master Sommeliers validates our commitment to excellence in every bottle.

Image: Hare's Chase Ironscraper Shiraz won Gold and was named as Red Wine Producer of the Year at the 2025 Sommeliers' Choice Awards.

Tell us about the wines that led to this accolade. Is there one in particular that you feel truly embodies the essence of Hare’s Chase, and what makes it so special?

Matt: Four gold medals from four entries and being named Red Wine Producer of the Year is incredibly special in its own right; it's difficult to choose a "favourite child" as they all have their own personalities. 

You produce bold, structured wines from the Barossa Valley, a region known for its rich reds. In your view, how does this particular terroir – its soils, microclimate, and elevation – shine through in your wines, especially in the one(s) that won?

Matt: Hare's Chase aims to produce wines that reflect its patch in the Barossa Valley, which is in a sub-region called Marananga on the western ridge of the Barossa. The estate is made up of 12 separate blocks comprised of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mataro (also called Mourvèdre), and Aglianico. These blocks are made up of a patchwork quilt of several soil types with subtle variations in elevation and aspect, peppered with quartzite and ironstone deposits. The diversity and subtle character nuances that arise from all of this provide us with a host of single-batch options to put our wines together from.

- Ironscraper Shiraz - includes a small component of Cabernet Sauvignon. 100% seasoned American oak hogsheads (79 gallons), rich and full, vibrant and fresh. Soft acidity, velvety chewy tannins.

- The Springer Shiraz includes small components of Grenache and Mataro. 80% seasoned American and French oak hogsheads. Fresh, bright red fruits, balanced acidity, dusty, ripe tannins.

- The Cabernet Shiraz – 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Shiraz. 15% new oak; combination of American and French oak hogsheads. Illustrates why these two varieties work in such harmony together. Concentrated core of raspberry, black cherry, and plum. The great Australian red blend.

- The Vigilance Shiraz - 100% seasoned French oak barriques (59 gallons); select estate blocks - rich and ripe layered black savoury fruits, supple fine tannins.

Image: Hare’s Chase Winners at the 2025 Sommeliers' Choice Awards.

Let’s talk markets. What is your current availability in the U.S., and are there specific retailers, restaurant groups, or distribution networks that are showcasing your wines stateside?

Wine 4 Winners: All wines are distributed through Wine 4 Winners’ national distribution base.  A new DTC online program will be launched within the next 2 months, under the Publik Wines platform, in which we will proudly showcase all of Hare’s Chase’s award-winning wines. For distributor contact information, contact Chris Dillon at chris@wine4winners.com, or to place an order, email orders@wine4winners.com.

Beyond the U.S., which international markets are showing the strongest growth for Hare’s Chase, and how are you tailoring your marketing and outreach to resonate with those consumers?

Matt: Our domestic market is in Australia, Singapore, Korea, China, and Canada. In Australia, over 80% of our trade sales occur in the on-premises channel. We are also regular participants at leading food and wine festivals in the major Australian capital cities.

Image: Hare’s Chase wines at the Australia Trade Tasting, 2024.

The team at Wine 4 Winners has been instrumental in bringing Hare’s Chase to the U.S. market. How do you and your team collaborate with importers and distributors like Wine4Winners to ensure wines don’t just arrive, but move?

Matt: Patience is definitely something you need in the US market. It is so large and diverse! The are so many things that are important, but I think consistency of message and being yourself are right up there. We are building a terrific relationship with Wine 4 Winners and are like-minded in the opportunities we see. Visiting the market is next on the agenda for us to provide support and education to the distributors and trade accounts who are putting Hare’s Chase into their portfolios.

WINE 4 WINNERS: Wine 4 Winners works closely with distributors through various depletion and support programs to ensure consistent attention to brands and depletions thereof. In addition, Wine 4 Winners’ marketing department facilitates brand awareness in various States to reach the trade and consumers alike, on various platforms, through their digital media marketing and paid advertising programs, email mass marketing, as well as a dynamic SEO and Analytical Program. 

Image: Wine 4 Winners Team - (L-R) Joan Dillon (Co-founder), Matthew Dillon (Founder), and Chris Dillon (Co-founder).

Do you work directly with on-premise buyers or sommeliers in key cities? What kind of support – tastings, storytelling, education – do you provide to help position Hare’s Chase on wine lists?

WINE 4 WINNERS: Wine 4 Winners, through their California distributorship, works closely with on-premises buyers providing tastings, winery education, supply, and positioning according to wine lists in order to facilitate placements.

Your win at the Sommeliers Choice Awards is a prime marketing opportunity. How do you plan to activate this recognition in your promotional efforts this year? Will we see new campaigns, packaging updates, or event activations tied to the award?

Matt: We will be guided by Wine 4 Winners. Already, we have received significant interest as a direct result of the success we have had with these awards. Both Wine Australia and the Barossa region also have active promotional programs in the US running over the next 12 months that we are intending to be part of, and the awards will be featured “front and centre” in these activities.

Image: Matt Reynolds, Chief Winemaker and General Manager.

WINE 4 WINNERS: The awards will most certainly be used in Wine 4 Winners’ marketing strategies, promotional and introduction campaigns to enhance market placements and brand awareness across all sectors in the trade. This will incorporate social media and paid advertising in conjunction with our marketing to distributors via introductions for distributor placements. The awards will also be used in all trade fairs, festivals, and distributor presentations. Wine 4 Winers will also include these awards in all their promotional material for retailers and to facilitate sales personnel in their introductions.

What sustainable practices or innovations are you employing at Hare’s Chase to minimize environmental impact and preserve the vineyards for future generations?

Matt: Both the Hare's Chase winery and its surrounding vineyards are certified members of the internationally accredited Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA).

The SWA philosophy is that growing and making wine sustainably is a holistic approach to production that evolves the environmental aspect of the craft. Organic and biodynamic practices go hand-in-hand with environmental management. Being a certified member comes by embracing the better use of energy and water to create efficiency, support regions and communities, and establish a business that is resilient and thriving.

Image: Hare's Chase is a certified member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.

For those discovering Hare’s Chase for the first time, particularly buyers or sommeliers, what would you say sets your wines apart from other Barossa reds on the international stage?

Matt: We pride ourselves on making red wines that deliver on the promise of generous flavour that the Barossa is renowned for, whilst reflecting the estate. Vibrant, fresh, and delicious, upholding the continued appeal and relevance of the classic Barossa style.

Conclusion

As Hare’s Chase deepens its U.S. presence through Wine 4 Winners and prepares for a more direct relationship with American drinkers via the upcoming Publik Wines platform, it’s doing so with a clear sense of identity. There’s no reinvention here, just a steady hand guiding bold, structured wines that carry both the flavour promise of Barossa and the measured confidence of a winery that knows where it’s from. With sustainability at its core and a growing network of partners who understand the value of story and soil, Hare’s Chase seems poised not only to build on its recent success but to keep inviting new audiences into the conversation.

Header Image: Matt Reynolds, Chief Winemaker and General Manager.

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network 

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