Wayfinder's Vintage 2026 is easing into the next phase in Margaret River. The rush of ferment is behind us. The winery has settled into a new phase; one that Head Winemaker Andrew Trio describes as quieter but more deliberate.
Andrew sits at the centre of the operation, helping his team move between barrels and tanks all while the new space finds its rhythm.
Vintage 2026 whites: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc settling in
Chardonnay, the first grape to be picked for Vintage 2026, is through ferment. Barrels are filled, topped and now it's about patience.
Andrew keeps it simple:
"Everything with the whites is finished, now we're just stirring once a week to build texture.
"Soon they'll be sulphured and left to rest," he says.
It's a shift from action to restraint. The work now is about timing, knowing when to step in, and when to leave things alone.
Andrew Trio’s hands-on approach to fermentation
One of Andrew's cues isn't sight or taste - it's sound.
He leans in, listening to the barrels.
"You can hear them crackling at the end of ferment.
"When that fades, that's when we chill and start working the lees," he says.
Lees stirring is the process where spent yeast cells are agitated and mixed back into the wine during ageing; a technique commonly used in barrel-fermented Chardonnay and other textured white wines.
It's subtle. Easy to miss. But it says a lot about Andrew's process where close, hands-on attention is paid and rewarded.
Wayfinder’s new gravity-fed winery finds its flow
This is the first vintage moving through the new winery, and its already leaving its mark on the area.
The gravity-fed system is doing what it was built for. Keepings things gentle.
Fruit is sorted, lightly crushed then moved by hand. No pumping. Just gravity doing the work.
"We're trying to keep the berries intact as possible. Let the ferment start naturally in tank," Andrew says.
It's slower and a more hands-on process. But it gives Andrew more control over how each parcel behaves during the fermentation process.
Sauvignon Blanc, ceramic vessels and experimentation
Not everything is going into oak.
Wayfinder's Sauvignon Blanc is currently fermenting in ceramic vessels from Italy; all part of a broader mix of materials now in play.
It's less about novelty, more about finding the right environment for each wine to settle into its own shape and character.
Vintage 2026 reds: early signs from Malbec and Shiraz
The red program is moving in step.
A young block of Malbec, the first crop, is already through ferment and heading into malolactic. Andrew says it's early days but a promising yield.
Shiraz is mid-flow. One parcel pressed, another close behind.
There's no rush here either. Just steady progression.
Where Vintage 2026 stands now
This part of vintage doesn't shout. It hums.
The big moments of a first pick and long hours along the vines are over. What's left is detail, judgement and time. A moment for our winemaking team to put their years of experience and finesse on show.
For Andrew, it's the phase where the direction of the wines starts to show and their personality takes centre stage.
Wayfinder Wines will be shaped as much by the new winery as the season itself.
Vintage 2026 isn't finished. But it's settling into something worth watching - or listening to!
Images by Tom Pearsall
