In the last few years of the twentieth century, I spent three weeks on a wine tour of Italy meeting dozens of producers, tasting, talking, learning, socialising, absorbing Italian wine culture. The tour finished in Calabria which was a little ramshackle and run down compared to most of the regions which I had visited which were flush with investment funds. But two things remain vivid memories. Firstly, I saw mixed farming (grape vines, olive groves, vegetable gardens and fruit trees) on the one property on a scale that I wasn't aware of in other regions. And the welcome our small group of journalists received was unforgettable as we became an instant part of the winery family group enjoying delicious food, gluggable wines and heart-warming hospitality. There was no sense of the corporate identity as I found elsewhere. This place was about family.

From the first time I visited Barrecas, I wondered why it seemed so familiar. The clues were there: the olive trees adjacent to the grape vines, the fruit trees on the property and then the warm welcome at cellar door. The palpable feeling of family and pride in what the family had achieved and what it was doing. It took me a while to connect the experience back to Italy and Calabria but, when it did, it made sense.

Here in Australia the wines are much better and the warmth of the family greeting equally genuine.

That was early in the new century, so it's been a delight to see the winery and the cellar door flourish over the years. I remember an evening at a Bunbury restaurant, sharing some of the Barrecas wines and listening to their talk about the connection to the family at the winery. I know that feeling, I thought.

I remember the respect that people like Ron Page at Houghton and David Hohnen at Cape Mentelle had for Fil and the grapes he grew for them and for the Barrecas cellar door. These have improved over the years with the entry level reds, full and soft and so easy to drink while their premium reds have reached levels that wouldn't have been possible early on.

What has not changed is Fil's single-minded determination to get the best out of every vine on the property (I suspect he's on first name terms with each) and the warmth of Kelly's greeting at cellar door or while she's on the road sharing the best of their wines.

I'm still a huge fan of the olive oil and love the way that it shares the limelight. The distant relatives in Calabria would be mightily impressed.

Our Story

About 40km South East of Bunbury you'll find the pretty country town of Donnybrook. A town oozing with that warm, country hospitality and plenty to see, do, eat and drink, it's the ideal day trip destination.

After a work trip to his family's homeland of Italy in the early 1990s, Fil Barreca aged just 21 discovered his intrinsic connection to working in a vineyard and growing grapes on a highly innovative Sicilian winery. He took his inspiration and passion back to Donnybrook and begun planting vines immediately.

Growing up as a first generation Australian an emphasis on food and wine were simply ‘a part of life’.

Today nearly 25 years on, Barrecas Wines is family owned and operated by principals Fil and Kelly Barreca, a total cultivation so far of about 46 hectares, predominantly Shiraz but also other wine varietals like cult favourite Barbera, the popular and much loved blend Shiraz Malbec, Zinfandel, Sangiovese and many more.

All Barrecas Wines, the sparkling and fortified wines are proudly 100% estate bottled, including the Estate’s premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is produced from the Estate’s premium olive plantation.

We look forward to seeing you at Barrecas Wines and invite you to become a part of our story and the tradition.

“Become a part of the story and the tradition of Barrecas.”