Wine ambitions at an early age

Visiting her mum at work in a winery gave a young Anna a glimpse into the wine world – and she was hooked. “The first time I walked into a winery, the industry was sold on me,” she says. “The vibe in the cellar and the smell of the ferments... It looked like it would be a really fun industry to be part of.”

Anna studied agricultural science majoring in oenology and became a winemaker, which gave her everything she wanted in a career. “I liked the idea of being outside, I liked science, I liked the creative aspect of it,” she says.

On South Australia’s Limestone Coast, she combined her winemaking talent with a passion for sustainable and biodynamic viticulture, crafting brilliant wines that really began in the vineyard. She was South Australia’s Rural Woman of the Year in 2013, inducted into the HerBusiness Hall of Fame in 2016 and named among the 2017 Young Gun of Wine Top 50 winemakers.

Anna managed an acclaimed winery, sat on boards and wine-show judging panels, worked in wine export and consulting, and travelled and worked all over the globe. And then she had bigger fish to fry.

From winemaker to changemaker

Since early 2019, Anna has been Manager of Industry Policy at Australian Grape & Wine, the peak national grape and wine industry body. At a high level, Anna’s focus is on supporting profitable and sustainable Australian wine businesses, and promoting vibrant rural and regional communities.

“I really like the big picture stuff, and to me it feels really good to be working on behalf of the whole of the industry,” she says. “Every day is different in this industry, and I think that’s what I really like about it. There’s always a new challenge.”

Anna now spends most of her days at Australian Grape & Wine where she works with the team to promote a profitable and sustainable landscape for grape and wine producers. Anna also enjoys nature, is a strong advocate for sustainable wine production and a proud member of the Landcare Australia board. Outside of the office, she loves spending time by the ocean where she keeps her toes in the water with some small batch winemaking.

"Having spent the majority of my winemaking life on the Limestone Coast, I am now exploring some other more remote locations to make wine".

"Discovering the diversity of our wine regions is what makes Australian wine exciting, but it’s really the people in the industry who are prepared to push boundaries that inspire me the most."

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