When all that matters is Riesling.
Wellington & Wolfe is the brainchild of Hugh McCullough and was started with one grape variety in mind. Riesling.
Born in the USA, Hugh moved to the UK when he was three. He grew up outside of London, in Oxford, and after completing high school moved to Scotland to attend University to study Modern History.
While studying, Hugh was working in the hospitality industry and it was there that he was first introduced to German Riesling. “A really good boss” saw potential in Hugh and moved him from behind the coffee machine to behind the bar. It was here that Hugh began his love affair with Riesling and it’s complex, crisp acid profile, and the reason he eventually moved to Australia to make his favourite wine.
After completing his Masters in Modern History, Hugh’s obsession with Riesling grew even more. An Australian wine industry scholarship caught his eye and he jumped at the chance.
Hugh had grown up in a family that loved and appreciated the world. A son to academics, they had travelled a lot and his parents always encouraged their two children, Hugh and his sister, to embrace life’s journey.
In 2014, Hugh’s dreams were realised when he was chosen for the scholarship as one of eight Brits to spend one month working for an emerging industry in South Australia. In Hugh’s case, he was chosen to spend one month working at Yalumba in the Barossa Valley. This turned into a yearlong stint.
After working several vintages in Australia and in Oregon, USA, Hugh returned to Australia and commenced his formal tertiary winemaking training which was split between Plumpton College in the UK and University of Tasmania where he completed a dissertation under industry stalwart Fiona Kerslake.
Around the same time, Hugh launched his wine company Wellington & Wolfe. “I was overthinking the name to death and then one day I was reading a history book about two generals, Wellington & Wolfe. I’ve always got a history book open. These two generals have remarkable stories. Both with influence and reach across so many spectrums. From town names to household products. It just rolled off the tongue so easily. There was this sense of relief. I was finally comfortable with a name that represented me and the influence and reach I hoped my wines would have.”
Wellington & Wolfe is by far one of the rarest wines in the Wines of Tasmania collection. High quality fruit is sourced from vineyards in Pipers River, in the Tamar Valley, with a focus on making small-batch, single-estate wines. Hugh produces a total of only 180 dozen wines each year so if you get your hands on a bottle, know that you’re one of the lucky ones.
The wine labels are beautiful too, with original illustrations hand-drawn by Hugh’s sister Eleanor, a professional artist, based in the UK.
What does the future hold? For now, Hugh says that Wellington & Wolfe is dedicated to just Riesling. “We launched a sub-brand that has Pinot Noir, a white blend and a couple of other little projects that will fall under it. But Wellington & Wolfe will remain focused on producing the highest quality Riesling possible. And when you’re in Tasmania, with this amazing fruit to work with, that is entirely possible.”