About Hardys Wine
Drinkers of Australian wine all over the world, will know and recognise the Hardys brand, in its various different guises. Hardys is the number 2 brand in the UK, and has a range of different sub brands within this, to provide a range of different styles, and price points, with different stories to tell. With the big brands accounting for over 40% of wine sales in the UK, it shows that we like the trust and reassurance that these familiar names give us. The wines are consistent and are easy to spot and pick.
What's The Background To Hardys
One of the most surprising facts about the origins of the Australian Hardys brand, is that it was created and established by an Englishman, Thomas Hardy, who set off from Plymouth in 1850, for the colony in Australia, and in so doing, became a legend. After working on farms and vineyards for 2 years, he fulfilled his aim to set up his own business and bought his first vineyard in South Australia, near Adelaide. He planted mainly Shiraz and Grenache.
By the late 1880s, his 3 sons were running the business with him, and expanding rapidly. The business prospered and Thomas Hardy became known as ‘the father of the South Australian wine industry’, an ambitious visionary, who was the first to focus on high quality wines, blended from different areas, which would be prized all over the world. He died in 1882, but his legacy was secure.
100 years after Thomas Hardy & Sons was started, the business had several different wineries, and was exporting all over the world. Over time a number of different brands within the Hardys family evolved, from easy drinking, great value style, to some iconic top quality wines. When the Australian wine boom happened in the UK, Hardy’s was poised to maximise the opportunity, and the rest is almost history. It had sealed its place as one of the most important wine brands in the world.
What Styles Of Wine Do Hardys Produce?
For over 150 years, the Hardys philosophy has been to encourage the creation of quality wines, pushing the boundaries, looking to pioneer new styles and produce wines of interest, balance and structure.
Whilst many brands have expanded their range into different countries, the Hardys brand stays firmly rooted in Australia.
From the approachable, easy drinking Hardys VR range, through to the jewels in the crown, Thomas Hardy and Eileen Hardy, the range covers a wide variety of price points and styles, including white, Rose, red and sparkling.
Hardys VR (Varietal Range) are fruity, easy drinking styles of wine, packed with juicy fruit, and the range is produced from the well established grape varieties – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz.
Hardys Bin 53 are full flavoured, spicy, flavoursome wines – Shiraz and Chardonnay are the best known styles.
Hardys Stamp is one of the most recognisable labels on the high street, with its distinctive ‘stamp’ logo, the Stamp selection ranges from sparkling, through the traditional white and red grape varieties, used in South Australia, through to some newer styles, and interesting blends, such as the juicily fruity Shiraz Grenache, and the aromatic, spicy Riesling Gewurztraminer.
Hardys Crest is a popular range of wines, well known in supermarket ranges, Crest is well known for its sparkling wines, as well as its still wines. Top favourites are Crest Shiraz Cabernet Merlot and Chardonnay Semillon.
Hardys Nottage Hill is one of the best known names in the Hardy’s brand stable, with a wide range, from the blackcurranty fruit of Cabernet Sauvignon, the fresh zestiness of Sauvignon Semillon, to the rich, spicy flavour of the Rhone style Shiraz Viognier.