Drink Wine, Drink Poetry
Brad Hickey was a Chicago corporate type who gravitated to wine. He became a sommelier and writer in Paris, Portland, and New York City — head sommelier under two-Michelin-star Chef David Bouley — before deciding a harvest in Australia might be fun. In 2007, he landed at McLaren Vale, met vigneron Nicole Thorpe, and was given the nickname "Brash" by Aussie pruners who found him both brash (he's American) and erudite (like Henry Higgins in *My Fair Lady*). Brash Higgins was born. Their first release — a 2011 amphora-fermented Nero d'Avola — upended what people thought they knew about both the grape and the region. Since then, they have continued to push boundaries: Zibibbo, Cinsault, Crystal, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, and BLOOM — an oxidatively aged, flor-fermented homage to Jura's Vin Jaune that is widely regarded as the closest any Australian winery has come to creating a local expression of that legendary style. The wines are made at Omensetter — a certified organic vineyard planted in 1997 on mineral-rich clay and active limestone, with cooling breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent just 5km away. Brad and Nicole are no longer a couple, but they remain friends and business partners, united by a restless muse and a commitment to capturing the essence of McLaren Vale's sun and soil.
From Chicago to the Vale
Brad Hickey's journey to McLaren Vale was anything but conventional. Born in Chicago, he did the corporate thing — "as so many of us do," one profile noted — before gravitating to wine. First as a sommelier and writer in Paris, then Portland, then New York City, where he flourished as head sommelier under two-Michelin-star Chef David Bouley. He was at the top of the American wine scene, but something was missing. He wanted to make wine, not just talk about it. A harvest in Australia seemed like the perfect next step.
In 2007, Brad arrived in McLaren Vale. The region was in the midst of a drought, and the entire area was suffering. But there was something special about the place — mineral-rich clay, active beds of limestone, and cooling breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent just 5km away. "In spite of the challenges, it was a great spot to grow grapes," Brad later wrote. "As we now know, to a certain extent the more vines suffer, the better the fruit tends to be." [^35^]
It was also where he met Nicole Thorpe, a McLaren Vale vigneron who owned a vineyard called Omensetter. The name, borrowed from William H. Gass's novel *The Omensetter's Luck*, would become the spiritual and physical home of Brash Higgins. The Aussie pruners Brad worked with gave him his nickname — "Brash" because he's American (and therefore brash), "Higgins" after Henry Higgins in *My Fair Lady* for his erudite, always-checking-the-rainfall manner. [^37^] The nickname stuck, and eventually became the brand. Brad and Nicole are no longer a couple, but they remain friends and business partners, united by their shared vision for McLaren Vale wine.
"Within the bottle's depths, the wine's soul sang one night. Drink wine, drink poetry, drink virtue."
— Charles Baudelaire (Brash Higgins motto)
Omensetter, Clay & Limestone
Omensetter Winery & Vineyard is the physical and spiritual home of Brash Higgins. Planted in 1997, the vineyard sits on a great patch of dirt on the south-western lip of McLaren Vale, offering grand views of both the Willunga Escarpment and the Gulf of St. Vincent. The soil is a mix of mineral-rich clay and active limestone — classic McLaren Vale terroir, but with a coastal influence that brings cooling breezes and moderates the region's warmth. The vineyard was certified organic in 2017, a reflection of Brad and Nicole's commitment to looking after their vines and their land. [^28^]
The original planting was Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon — the varieties that defined McLaren Vale at the time. But the drought of the late 2000s hit these varieties hard, and Brad began to investigate alternatives. A passing conversation with local legend Steve Pannell about the resilient Southern Italian variety Nero d'Avola set Brad and Nicole on a journey to Sicily, where they saw firsthand how the grape thrived in hot, dry conditions. They grafted cuttings onto a half-acre of their Shiraz vines and now have 3 acres under vine. [^35^]
The vineyard is not just a source of fruit; it is a laboratory for experimentation. Brad's fascination with fermentation techniques led him to commission Adelaide-based potter John Bennett to make 200-litre terracotta amphoras from local South Australian clay — vessels inspired by the ones he had seen and tasted from at COS and Frank Cornelissen in Sicily. These amphoras are now central to the Brash Higgins identity, used for fermenting and ageing Nero d'Avola, Zibibbo, and other varieties. The combination of organic farming, alternative varieties, and ancient fermentation vessels makes Omensetter one of Australia's most distinctive vineyard sites.
The heart of the operation. 3 acres of Nero d'Avola, plus Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Crystal. Mineral-rich clay and active limestone soils. Certified organic since 2017. Cooling breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent, 5km away. The source for Brash Higgins' most iconic wines — NDA, BLOOM, and the Omensetter vineyard blend.
The source for BLOOM and the CHN Chenin Blanc. A relatively steep, south-facing 35-year-old vineyard overlaid with deep white beach sands. Cooler than the main McLaren Vale floor, with a distinct mineral freshness. The Chardonnay for BLOOM and the Chenin Blanc both express this sandy, elevated terroir with precision and focus.
The source for the Zibibbo (ZBO). 70-year-old bush vines from Ricca Terra Farms, dry-grown and seriously well-tended. The fruit is transformed in amphora with extended maceration (150 days on skins) into something special — waxy confit lemon, honey, and eucalyptus. A testament to the quality that old vines can achieve in the right hands.
Australian Certified Organic certification received in 2017. No synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilisers. Cover crops, biodiversity, and soil health are prioritised. The commitment to organic farming is not just about certification; it is about looking after the land for the long term and ensuring that the vines — and the wines — express the true character of McLaren Vale.
Amphora, Flor & Restless Muse
Brad Hickey's winemaking is defined by a restless curiosity and a refusal to be pigeonholed. He moves seamlessly between old-world and new-school approaches — amphora fermentation, oxidative ageing, carbonic maceration, traditional barrel ageing — always in service of the fruit and the site. The approach is minimal intervention but not dogmatic: natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts, no fining, no filtration where possible, and a focus on texture, finesse, and savoury complexity. "We seek to capture the essence of McLaren Vale's sun and soil, the elusive characters of the fruit, and the whims of our own restless muse," the winery's motto declares. [^28^]
The amphoras are central to the Brash Higgins identity. Commissioned from Adelaide potter John Bennett and made from local South Australian clay, these 200-litre terracotta vessels are used for fermenting and ageing Nero d'Avola, Zibibbo, and other varieties. The amphoras give a purity and textural depth that Brad finds irreplaceable — the Nero d'Avola (NDA) is fermented and aged in amphora, resulting in a wine that is detailed, complex, pretty, textural, and slightly lifted. [^30^] The Zibibbo (ZBO) sees 150 days of extended maceration in amphora, transforming the Muscat of Alexandria into something waxy, honeyed, and eucalyptus-scented, with no tannic heaviness. [^37^]
But the *pièce de résistance* is BLOOM — Brash Higgins' oxidatively aged, flor-fermented homage to Jura's Vin Jaune. Made from Chardonnay grown in the sandy Blewitt Springs sub-region, BLOOM is matured in just four barrels (previously used for White Burgundy) for six and a half years. Flor grows naturally on the surface, and Brad adds a little fresh wine periodically to feed it — unlike in the Jura, where the flor is left to its own devices. The result is amber in colour, with complex aromas of caramelised butter, whisky, apples, lemons, orange, Indian spices, and a top note of coconut. The palate is lemon and hazelnut with great salinity. Only 75 cases are made for the world. [^37^]
The BLOOM Effect
BLOOM is not a replica of Vin Jaune — it is a local expression, an Australian interpretation. The variety is Chardonnay, not Savagnin. The ageing period is six and a half years, similar to Vin Jaune, but the technique is adapted to McLaren Vale's conditions. The flor is fed, not left to starve. The barrels are turned at the end to keep the bungs airtight. The result is a wine that shares the nutty, saline, oxidative character of the Jura classic but with a distinctly Australian accent — more tropical, more generous, more sun-kissed. At around $175 AUD (£90), it is a relative bargain for such a rarity. The 2015 vintage — the third incarnation — was bottled in August 2022 and is only now reaching the market. Previous vintages (2008 and 2012) came in tiny quantities via suitcases. This is a unicorn wine, made by a restless muse in a shed in McLaren Vale.
American Sommelier, Australian Soul
Brad Hickey is a rare figure in Australian wine: an American sommelier who became a winemaker, bringing with him the palate of a fine-dining professional and the hands-on curiosity of a harvest worker. His background — Chicago, Paris, Portland, New York City, two-Michelin-star service — gives him a global perspective that is unusual in the insular Australian wine scene. He understands what sommeliers want, what collectors look for, and what makes a wine genuinely exciting rather than merely correct. But he has also immersed himself in McLaren Vale's terroir, its history, and its potential, becoming as much a local as any native-born vigneron.
Brash Higgins occupies a unique space: not quite natural wine, not quite conventional, but something in between. The wines are made with minimal intervention — wild ferments, no fining, no filtration — but they are also precise, structured, and built for ageing. BLOOM is the ultimate expression of this philosophy: a wine that requires immense technical skill to produce, yet tastes like something ancient and elemental. The Nero d'Avola and Zibibbo are similarly paradoxical — made in amphora, with extended skin contact, yet balanced and refined. Brad's interest in little-known or outré varieties — Nero d'Avola, Zibibbo, Cinsault, Crystal, Carignan — has grown steadily, and each new release expands the boundaries of what McLaren Vale can do.
The Brash Higgins tasting experience is as distinctive as the wines. By appointment only, Brad takes visitors inside the winery for a deep dive: see the organic Omensetter Vineyard, discuss the geology of the Vale, then waltz inside the inner sanctum to taste and learn in a fun, free-flowing format. Certain times of year, guests are invited to taste from clay amphoras full of Nero d'Avola and Zibibbo. The tastings run 1.5 to 2 hours — not a quick cellar-door stop, but a genuine immersion into Brad's world. [^29^] There is no formal cellar door, but there are legendary lunches, a reputation for warmth and hospitality, and a winemaker who is as comfortable discussing Baudelaire as he is checking rainfall statistics.
"We seek to capture the essence of McLaren Vale's sun and soil, the elusive characters of the fruit, and the whims of our own restless muse."
— Brash Higgins
The Brash Higgins Range
Brash Higgins produces a broad, ever-evolving portfolio of organic, site-specific wines from McLaren Vale and beyond. The range spans amphora-fermented Nero d'Avola and Zibibbo, oxidatively aged Chardonnay (BLOOM), Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and experimental blends — all made with minimal intervention, wild ferments, and a focus on texture and finesse. The wines are vegan-friendly, unfined and unfiltered where possible, and bottled with minimal sulfur. Prices are approximate and vary by market.