Wirra Wirra has always embraced the weird and wonderful and the tradition continues with the title of its new book, The Highly Improbable Audacious Adventures of Wirra Wirra 1894 to 2019.
The characterful book, written by Katie Spain, Nick Ryan and Dave Brookes, marks 125 years since cricketer of sorts Robert Strangways Wigley established Wirra Wirra, and 50 years since cousins Greg and Roger Trott resurrected it after it had all fallen apart.
Guests at a function to mark the twin anniversaries were treated to a spectacular fireworks display with a Wirra Wirra twist – a trebuchet catapulted a watermelon inserted with fireworks into the night sky.
The fireball landed in the distance and so began a dazzling fireworks display and skyrockets shot up and formed the letter ‘W’.
James Halliday said, “Trott would have loved it.”
Wigley was quite the character. “Bob hitched up the local pie cart and took off down King William Street. Some witnesses, their reliability possibly questionable, say Wigley took it as far as Norwood.”
Ben Riggs is quoted in the book as saying, “If someone did well, Trott would genuinely enjoy their success. I remember watching that and thinking, ‘That’s a good way to be’.”
Wirra Wirra kept Trott’s legacy alive by celebrating the success of former employees including Kerri Thompson, Brendon Keys, Ben Riggs and Sam Connew, including their wines in a tasting for wine writers and the trade.
The book is available at the Wirra Wirra cellar door for $50.
• A version of this story first appeared in our weekly ebulletin The Week That Was.
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