RISE TO THE TOP

When a young Helen moved with her family from England to Australia, she had no idea what her future would hold. Aside from an interest in science, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. On her 18th birthday she enrolled in an oenology degree, and from her first class she was a passionate winemaker-in-the-making. Helen graduated with first class honours in 2000, and the past two decades have been a steady climb to the top of the game. 

Before joining the Mountadam Vineyards team in 2015 in her current role as Chief Winemaker, Helen worked with a string of big-name wineries, including Lindemans, Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Seppelts Great Western, Penfolds, Taylors Wines and Thorn-Clarke Wines. Less than a decade after she graduated, she was recognised as one of Australia’s brightest winemaking talents, winning two Young Winemaker of the Year awards in 2008. She followed these up with two more in 2013. Over time, Helen became a passionate proponent of a less-is-more winemaking approach, believing the most important work is done in the vineyard. 

Helen spent eight years at Taylors in the coveted role of Senior Winemaker, based in South Australia’s Clare Valley. It was a career-shaping experience, but Helen’s home was in the Barossa and eventually she felt pulled back to that region. For Helen, the Barossa was a place with a strong sense of community and a commitment to sustainability. It was a place where growing your own organic produce was part of life. 

Her connection with the Barossa saw Helen take on the role of Senior Winemaker at Thorn-Clark, and she helped lead a new generation of Barossa wines. Her 2012 Ron Thorn Shiraz was named world’s best Shiraz at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition. Helen was at the pinnacle, but in 2015 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose at Mountadam in the Barossa’s Eden Valley. 

PROTECTING THE FUTURE OF A LEGACY

Mountadam has a proud history and a reputation for exceptional wines. It was founded in 1972 by the trailblazing David Wynn, a pioneer in cool-climate viticulture who planted one of the most elevated vineyards in Australia and established the largest Chardonnay vineyard at the time. In 2015, Helen became custodian of Mountadam. She takes a holistic view of the vineyard, the winery and the environment in which she lives and works, and believes the wine community has a key role to play in protecting the planet. 

“If we continue to erode our environment, we just aren’t going to have anything left,” she says. “Viticulture really needs to come to the fore and say, we are sustainable, we are environmentally friendly.”

At home, Helen is passionate about nurturing her family with healthy foods and avoiding preservatives. She’s brought that philosophy to Mountadam, where she minimises the use of chemicals and has introduced a range of sustainable practices. With her keen focus on sustainability in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the winery, Helen is protecting the future of the land she loves while ensuring historic Mountadam will be winning awards for years to come.

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