South Australian wine icon d'Arry Osborn passes away

On Friday December 16, 2022, Francis D’Arenberg “d’Arry” Osborn passed away. He was 95. 

The much-loved third-generation vigneron and patriarch of McLaren Vale winery d’Arenberg was born on the property on 27 December, 1926, to parents Francis Ernest and Helena d’Arenberg Osborn. After leaving school to join the family winery at the age of 16, d’Arry oversaw more than 70 consecutive vintages. Thanks to the introduction of the famous 'red stripe' in 1959, he is credited with turning the business from bulk flagon production into an international powerhouse. 

d’Arry received many prestigious honours and awards over the course of his lifetime. His 1968 Cabernet Sauvignon won the Jimmy Watson Trophy in 1969, and he was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal in 1978. In 2004, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the wine industry and to the McLaren Vale region, and in 2016 he was awarded South Australian Legend of the Vine by Wine Communicators of Australia.

d'Arry is survived by his two children, Chester and Jacki Osborn, and his three grandchildren Alicia, Ruby and Mia Osborn.