Hochkirch Wines

Hochkirch Wines' story began in the mid-19th century when Christian Nagorcka migrated from Sachsen, Germany, to Australia. After initially settling in the Barossa Valley, he moved to southwest Victoria near the village of Hochkirch, now Hamilton. This area, like the Barossa, was home to many German Lutheran settlers who engaged in subsistence farming, including small vineyards for personal use.

With the rise of the wool industry in the late 19th century, subsistence farming—and the early wine industry—faded. In 1990, the first vines were planted on the Nagorcka family farm, leading to the establishment of a 20-acre vineyard. The vineyard, focused on cold-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling, now comprises several varieties, all dry-grown, hand-pruned, and hand-harvested, continuing the family’s agricultural legacy.