Grounded Cru value the little things; handcrafting our wines with passion and honesty to deliver the vineyard to your table.
Geoff 'Joffa' Thompson
Cru Chief
Joffa’s Journey
Passionate about all things wine, Geoff ‘Joffa’ Thompson took the plunge in his late 20’s to change career and follow his dream of becoming a winemaker.
Having completed winemaking studies and patiently working his way to Senior Winemaker at a large company, Joffa and his family took the leap in 2013 to launch their own wine business.
Their goal was always to create their own brand. After a full distillation and brand build process, Grounded Cru was born.
The name ‘Grounded Cru’ epitomises Joffa’s philosophies. ‘Grounded’ reflects his down to earth nature and the fact that he values relationships (collaborating with growers, etc) and pays attention to the little things; handcrafting his wines.
It also carries a link to terroir and the vineyard. ‘Cru’ is a French word meaning ‘growth’. It is also used with terms ‘Grand’ and ‘Premier’ to classify the superior quality of a vineyard.
Joffa also likes to think of ‘Cru’ with regards to joining the crew or being part of a group of like-minded people.
The Grounded Cru brand features handmade typography and a down to earth (grounded) Australian icon. We think this perfectly tells our unique story.
Meet
the Cru
Where do our grapes come from?
Being based in McLaren Vale and with the regions of the Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek nearby, we are able to handcraft our wines from our premium vineyards in the ‘Vale, Hills & Creek’. Working hand in glove with our growers we ensure that our grapes are picked at the optimum ripeness, resulting in wines of beautiful balance and elegance. We love working with grapes from these three regions and the wonderful diversity which they offer. Click on a map to find out more.