11/09/2026
Meet Piru Vineyard, Canyonleigh
Tucked away in Canyonleigh, on the western reaches of the Southern Highlands, is a small family-owned vineyard with a wonderful story.
Piru Vineyard is run by Richard and Vivienne Walsh and their three daughters.
Richard’s journey into w**e began later in life. After decades working in specialist and academic medicine, retirement brought an entirely new chapter. In 2017, Richard and Vivienne acquired the vineyard, taking on more than 2,000 established vines and setting about learning the art of growing cool-climate grapes. Their first vintage followed in 2019.
And Piru really is small.
The vineyard has just over 2,000 vines, growing only two varieties, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir, with enough fruit to produce around 300 dozen bottles in a good year. Every bunch is hand-picked, with family, friends and locals coming together for harvest.
Even the name has a story.
The vineyard is surrounded by magnificent Stringybark trees. Piru is a Murrinh-Patha word for the Stringybarks, a name that came to the Walsh family through one of their daughters, who spent several years living and working in an Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
Richard and Vivienne tend the vineyard themselves, with guidance from viticulturist Ben Brazenor, while w**emaker Thomas Evans takes their hand-picked fruit through the w**emaking process and into bottle.
Piru is one of those lovely **small Southern Highlands producers you won’t find on the traditional cellar-door trail**. Their vineyard isn’t open to the public, which makes having the opportunity to share their w**es with others even more special.
Bowral Cellar Door is proud to be able to offer Piru Vineyard’s delightful 2024 Pinot Grigio and introduce more people to this wonderful little Southern Highlands vineyard.
And we have to ask...
Have you ever dreamed of making your own w**e or owning a vineyard?
