Liz Riley
GROWING STRONG
Award-winning viticulturist Liz Riley is bringing cutting-edge science to the vineyard to help the Australian wine community stay ahead of the game.
A green thumb, a passion for sustainability and an eye to the future have led Liz to be a nationally renown viticulturist. Over almost three decades, Liz has helped vineyard owners around Australia to grow better grapes, won awards for her work and helped raise the bar for viticulture in the Hunter Valley wine region.
Innovation in the field
Liz’s life has been a migration from west to east – she grew up in Western Australia, studied viticulture and winemaking in South Australia and today lives in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. After graduating in the 1990s, Liz quickly made a name for herself and in 2000 launched her own consulting business, Vitibit.
She works with vineyard owners across the Hunter Valley and throughout Australia’s east coast, helping them to plant the right vines and improve their vineyards. She also manages the Hunter Valley vineyards of Scarborough Wine Co., founded by her parents-in-law, Ian and Merralea Scarborough. Today her husband Jerome is General Manager and Winemaker.
A life indoors was never going to suit Liz. She loves the diversity of working outside and the challenges of growing wine grapes.
“You watch things go dormant and you watch them come to life again,” says Liz. “They grow, they blossom, you deal with the challenges the season throws at you. And then it’s always nice when you see those wines succeed in the market.
“Wine is a thread through our lives. If you’re in the wine grape–growing game, you can’t switch off from it. You lie awake listening for rain. It’s part of our daily lives.”
A few years ago, Liz was named Viticulturist of the Year by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology. The award recognised her expertise in using scientific research to improve vineyard sustainability and fruit quality. Sustainability is at the heart of her work.
“It’s about creating an environment you want to be in,” says Liz. “We are working in it, we’re living in it, so it’s important that we make it healthy for everyone. The challenge ultimately is creating a sustainable vineyard that is there for the next year and the next generation.”
“The ultimate challenge is creating a sustainable vineyard that is there for the next year and the next generation.” – Liz Riley
Disclaimer
This information is presented in good faith and on the basis that Wine Australia, nor their agents or employees, are liable (whether by reason of error, omission, negligence, lack of care or otherwise) to any person for any damage or loss whatsoever which has occurred or may occur in relation to that person taking or not taking (as the case may be) action in respect of any statement, information or advice given via this channel.
