Galafrey
🍷 About Galafrey
For over four decades, the Tyrer family has tended their dry-grown vineyards, producing small parcels of high-quality fruit and transforming them into wines of character and nuance. Flavours express the cool climate and gravelly soils of Mount Barker, resulting in bright whites and elegantly structured reds loved by locals and visitors alike.
Galafrey is survived by mother and daughter team, Linda and Kim Tyrer. Nigel Rowe, Kim husband has now joined the team.
Linda, Kim and Nigel maintain a hands-on role to ensure that the Galafrey philosophy is upheld.
Today, Galafrey has twelve hectares under vine consisting of Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Merlot Grapes. We are also growing Muller-Thurgau, a unique white grape variety that produces a light, flavourful, fruity grape that has some similar characteristics to Riesling.
Galafrey’s impressive cellar door boasts breathtaking views of the vines and surrounding bushland. Come and meet Bruce, the winery dog, who will greet you at the car park and escort you to the door. And, most importantly, enjoy the taste that is Galafrey Wines.
Meet the Winemaker: Kim Tyrer 🍇
At the heart of Galafrey Wines in Mount Barker is Kim Tyrer — a passionate, hands-on winemaker who has helped shape one of the Great Southern’s most loved family wineries into what it is today. Galafrey was founded in 1977 by Kim’s father, Ian Tyrer, with a strong belief in Mount Barker’s cool-climate potential and the power of dry-grown fruit.
But in 2003, after Ian sadly passed away, the future of Galafrey became uncertain. That’s when Kim stepped in — at just 25 years old — taking on the responsibility of keeping the family legacy alive, while learning the ropes through one of the most challenging periods imaginable.
Kim officially became CEO and winemaker in 2011, and she’s been driving Galafrey forward ever since — combining tradition with a fresh outlook and a deep connection to place. She’s also proudly open about her path into winemaking: self-taught, determined, and constantly learning. In her own words, that “self-taught” background pushes her to stay focused, work harder, and back herself in — which absolutely shows in the quality and consistency of the wines.
Today, Galafrey remains a true family operation. Kim works closely alongside her mum Linda Tyrer (her business partner), and her husband Nigel Rowe, who plays a major role in the vineyard — meaning every bottle is still shaped by family hands from vine to glass.
What makes Kim’s wines so special is how clearly they reflect their Mount Barker home. The Galafrey vineyard is dry-grown (unirrigated) and sits at around 260 metres above sea level, helping naturally retain brightness and acidity in the fruit — especially important for varieties like Riesling.
Kim’s style is all about integrity, balance and honesty: wines with purity of fruit, regional personality, and that classic Great Southern “freshness” that makes you want another glass.
She’s also gained serious recognition within the Australian wine scene. Kim has been selected in the Top 50 Young Gun of Wine winemakers across multiple years (including 2018–2023), and has also been acknowledged as a finalist in women-in-leadership wine awards.
Those achievements reflect what many locals already knew — that Kim isn’t just continuing a legacy… she’s strengthening it.
Kim Tyrer is proof that the best wineries aren’t always the biggest — they’re the ones built on resilience, family, place, and the kind of passion you can taste in every sip.
Showing 3 results
