How to build a world-class winemaker
If you wanted to build the ultimate Australian winemaker in a laboratory, you’d probably end up with someone a lot like Josh Pfeiffer.
First, you’d give him the pedigree: four generations of grape-growing blood.
Next, you’d give him the upbringing: a childhood spent growing up on the hallowed soils of Penfolds’ Kalimna vineyard, where his dad managed the legendary Grange vines.
Finally, you’d send him to finishing school at Henschke (one of Australia’s most revered estates): for half a decade of tutelage under Stephen and Prue Henschke.
On paper, Josh is wine royalty…
But in reality, he’s the last person you’d expect to find in a palatial wine estate, or wielding gilded secateurs.
No, you’re more likely to find Josh covered in Barossa dust, hanging out of the window of a battered old pickup truck, making world-class wine from fruit grown by his primary school mates.
A mechanic at heart, as down to earth as they come, Josh applies the same obsessive attention to detail to his fermenting grape juice as he does when tinkering with his classic cars.
And whether he’s crafting the kind of decadent, old-vine Barossa Shiraz that put Australia on the map, or ripping up the rulebook to precision engineer a delicious zero-alcohol alternative from scratch, Josh brings a master’s touch to everything he builds.
Growing up in the garage
As a boy, Josh was diagnosed with Haemophilia A – a disorder that prevents blood from clotting – it was one of the most defining moments of his life.
It meant Josh had to sit out the rough-and-tumble contact sports of youth. A bad tackle on the footy pitch usually meant a few days in a wheelchair to recover.
So, instead of tackling, he tinkered.
Growing up on a 700-acre vineyard, there was always an engine lying around. He’d "borrow" tractors, 4WDs, and quad bikes to rip around the property.
Today, you’ll still find him bouncing around the vines in his latest restored classic.
Fun fact: Josh is actually a secret vintage car influencer, boasting over 100,000 followers who tune in to watch him breathe life back into old motors. See if you can find him…
And as you’ll see, when it comes to his reds, Josh knows exactly how to get the maximum horsepower out of a Barossa Shiraz.
Creating his wine cartel
When Josh took over the winemaking at his family’s estate in 2013, he completely transformed it – shifting to organic practices and achieving full biodynamic status.
But a winemaker is only as good as the people around them, and that is Josh’s secret weapon.
The guys managing the best parcels of vines across the Barossa Valley are pretty much all Josh’s age. They grew up together. They slept over at each other’s houses. That kind of bond is unbreakable.
It’s through these lifelong mates that Josh gets his hands on exclusive, top-tier parcels of fruit that corporate wineries can only dream of.
He bands this tight-knit grower network together through his 'Barossa Wine Cartel' – his winery down under that he runs along with his wife, Ellen.
Firing up the Barossa V8
Those magic grapes turn into his Barossa Shiraz – a vibrant, mouth-watering modern take on the classic style, brimming with ripe blackberries and a touch of eucalyptus. And if you want to see what happens when Josh kicks things up a gear, look no further than his Barossa Reserve Shiraz.
Sourced from two of his absolute favourite vineyards in Kalimna and Greenock, his Reserve Shiraz is pure elegance in a glass, with notes of dark cherries, clove, and mocha. It proves exactly why the Barossa remains the holy grail of Aussie Shiraz.
Josh also sources fruit from Langhorne Creek. An underrated, historic wine region that we don’t see enough of in the UK, but it produces Shiraz that punches way above its weight.
Originally launched under another name, a copyright issue forced a rebrand (boo, hiss). So Josh used it as an opportunity to celebrate his other great love: his pickup truck (or Ute, as the Aussies say).
A nod to the vintage Landcruiser FJ45 he used to traverse his vineyards, that specific Ute is now retired, but the wine is still pouring beautifully – a big, bold, easy-drinking red loaded with cassis and cherry.
So as you can see, Josh knows his way around a Shiraz… but that’s not the only thing up his sleeve.
Going off-road (and off the alcohol)
A couple of years ago, Josh took 12 months off drinking alcohol, and quickly realised that most non-alcoholic wine alternatives on the market were, to put it mildly, a bit rubbish.
Rather than complaining – Josh is the sort of guy who prefers a spanner to a soapbox – he just decided to make his own. An expertly crafted alternative, built on a base of verjus.
If you haven’t come across it before – verjus (literally "green juice" in French) is the pressed juice of unripened grapes.
Because the grapes are picked early, the juice hasn't developed massive amounts of sugar yet, meaning it is super tart and acidic. It isn't fermented, but it provides the structural backbone that non-alcoholic drinks need so they don't just taste like cloying fruit juice.
His 0% Rosé is built on a base of Barossa Semillon and Pedro Ximénez verjus from up to 100-year-old vines, rounded out with a splash of Adelaide Hills cherry juice and blueberry juice, and a pinch of Murray River salt. It delivers gorgeous flavours of strawberries and pink grapefruit – perfect for sipping ice-cold on a sunny afternoon.
His 0% Sparkling White takes that same old vine verjus and infuses it with chamomile, elderflower and spring water. It delivers all the celebratory fizz and zesty lemon you crave, perfectly balanced by a savoury, mouth-watering finish.
Top tip from Josh: if you prefer your fizz a little drier, just add a dash of sparkling water to dial it into your perfect sweet spot.
Fuelling the family business
Whether you are popping the cork on his 0% fizz, or decanting his flagship Barossa Reserve Shiraz, every bottle of Josh’s you drop into your basket makes a very real difference.
Back in 2020, during the pandemic, small family-run operations like Josh’s were hit incredibly hard. He joined us through our rescue fund, and after Angels completely fell in love with his first batch, he became a fully-fledged Naked winemaker.
He’s since become a beloved regular on our Tasting Tours, pouring his heart out to Angels across the UK. But he never forgets how this journey started.
"Work with Naked has helped me to put food on the table for my wife and three young boys – William, Thomas and Oliver,” Josh told us. “I really appreciate the opportunity to make wine for the Angels in the UK."
So there you have it. Incredible pedigree. World-class wines. All wrapped up in a brilliant bloke bouncing around the Barossa in a beat up old car. What more could you ask for?
