Luke Bramon
Winemaker. Vineyard roustabout. Grand Puba of Public Relations & Marketing.
Luke Bramon, has worked in in the wine industry in various parts of the world gaining industry knowledge in Australia, New Zealand, as well as in France and of course California, U-S-A! He describes his duties as: “Alchemist of Amazingly Damn Fine hand crafted wines; the Great Grape crusher; The Bad boy of blending and The Sultan of swirl, sniff and sip. Grand Puba of Public Relations; Maestro of Marketing; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy of the Ministry of grape pulp propaganda and liquid Information; and one hell of a humble guy…if I do say so myself!”
Luke’s Training in the Hunter Valley, Australia, ignited his desire to create great wines that are passionately made, which has led to various wine ventures around Australia. With a keen aspiration of producing memorable wines made with old world passion and New World techniques, Luke undertakes the whole process of winemaking with a hands on approach; from sampling in the vineyard prior to picking, to select hand picking, to crushing, hand plunging and basket pressing, to the finishing of the final product which is labeled by hand.
Luke has a "thirst for knowledge" and believes that education should be "intoxicating", which is why he has studied Communications with an emphasis on marketing of beverages, at the University of Southern California; he has also gained a Masters degree in media and public relations with an emphasis on wine promotion. He also holds an MBA in Wine Business, as well as a degree in winemaking and vineyard management. He also holds certificates from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in London and the Court of the Masters of Sommeliers in Napa California.
Luke’s proudest moments are, having sailed from Hobart to Sydney in cowboy boots and with a stolen silver Sporting Cup/trophy – which was given to him by the thief; And having previously assisted David Fatches and John Duval to passionately produce “damn fine wines”.
David Fatches
Winemaker. Philosopher. Alchemist.
A “flying winemaker”, David has traveled the globe to work for some of the best wineries in the world; with Boudreaux, France being one of his most memorable experiences. David has had extensive experience in the French wine industry and it shows with his production of top of the class Australian Shirazs.
David’s introduction to good food and wine came at an early age while working for his family’s restaurant. His passion later turned to sailing, and he became a renowned boat builder before turning to winemaking. He has a long association with the Hunter, specifically with producing quality wines made in traditional Hunter styles. David makes wine as per the “old school” and the wines produced, particularly the Semillon and the Shiraz, are made the same way they were some 20 years ago – a time when the Hunter Semillons and Shiraz really made their name.
His vast experience includes working for the Orlando Wyndham group; His first foray as solo winemaker for Millfield Wines saw a continuous string of trophies and show medals, and his work in Bordeaux has also been highly acclaimed.
On his passion for wine David says: “Through my family restaurant business I was exposed to great early vintages of Grange and Hill of Grace, which sparked my interest in great and wonderful wines; and which has developed into a lifelong passion for me focusing on marrying the best of the Old World with the New World.”
“The grapes and wine are like sailing, you listing to the weather and physical environment around you and you know how to prepare yourself to get the best results. The grapes and vineyard are constantly talking in a non-verbal way. You can see when the vines need to be trimmed back, when they need more sun light and when they need less. Making the wine is much the same. From the start of the crush to the final product, the fragrance and the colors being displayed are always telling you what to do…the wine is always talking…and telling you what to do in order for it to be a great one”.
David is a master of the vineyard and winery, and has total control in professionally orchestrating all of the individual requirements from our common goals of: passionately making unique and innovative quality wines. From the vineyard to the wine, you will taste the passion, the quality of the fruit, and the skill of David’s winemaking techniques – developed all into a magical blend – which we hope you will enjoy!