Meg Brodtmann
ONE OF A KIND
As a university student, Meg joked that she’d become the first female Australian Master of Wine. And that’s exactly what she did.
Now she’s a sought-after winemaker, judge and educator who lives and works in her hometown of the Yarra Valley.
Meg’s experience encompasses winemaking at some of the world’s top wineries and spans more than twenty years and three continents.
She has transitioned from being a hands-on winemaker and is now Brand Business Manager at Rob Dolan Wines where she heads up the cellar door and sales and marketing team, while also being responsible for the winery’s sustainability journey and educating its young team in all things wine.
Mastering the world of wine
After an early career in medical research, Meg’s turned her scientific mind to making premium wines, creating experimental blends and finding more sustainable ways to grow grapes.
Going from medical research to wine isn’t the usual path of a winemaker. But then, Meg’s never really been interested in the conventional approach. After leaving her job researching immunodeficiencies, she studied winemaking, got some experience and worked her way across Europe and South America as a winemaking consultant.
After years of intensive study, Meg became the first female Australian Master of Wine, while living in Chile with her winemaker husband and young family and running her own wine consultancy. There are only around 400 Masters of Wine in the world today. It’s the highest qualification in the industry and the toughest to complete.
“Becoming Australia’s first female Master of Wine has definitely been a career highlight. The MW hasn’t changed my winemaking but has allowed me to taste some of those elusive, and expensive, wines that exist beyond mere mortals,” Meg says.
Her next move saw her return with her family to Victoria’s Yarra Valley wine region, where she was born and raised.
“I have been fortunate to make wine in many countries around the world – the best and least known places. I have learnt something in every country I have made wine and was excited when I returned to Australia to see how I could use that knowledge here,” she says.
Meg joined the team at Helen & Joey Estate as senior winemaker where her focus was on making elegant wines that express the dynamic, cool-climate region. She is now happily ensconced in her latest role at Rob Dolan Wines.
Meg believes Australian wine reflects our national spirit and is “bold, adventurous and a little cheeky”.
“While making some of the greatest wines on the planet, we don’t take ourselves too seriously and are always open to new ideas. I just love the diversity of wine styles and the unapologetic nature of our winemakers,” she says.
“Many regions in Australia are just at the beginning of their winemaking journey. I would love a time machine to see how these areas are in 100 or 200 years’ time”. – Meg Brodtmann
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.
