Meet the Winemakers
The winemakers of Farm Road Wines met while undertaking a Viticulture and Winemaking Degree at Melbourne Polytechnic.
After working in various wineries and purchasing and drinking many bottles of wine, they both found that there was a gap in the market for producing high quality wine and selling it for a good price… And that was the beginning of Farm Road Wines.
Paul Smith
Paul has extensive experience in the wine industry having worked at Bass Phillip (Gippsland) for 5 years as a part of the vineyard and winery production team, where he witnessed some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Australia being made.
He then ventured onto Mornington Peninsula to be involved in the viticulture and winemaking of high-quality biodynamic Syrah at Avani Winery.
Having a background in chemistry and continued work at a NATA accredited wine laboratory, gives him a good base to produce the high quality and affordable, Farm Road Wines.
Mary-Anne Bates
Mary-Anne won best Red for her Mezziolo Nebbiolo at Melbourne Polytechnic towards the completion of her wine making degree. This was after spending two vintages working in the Bellarine Peninsula and one in the Yarra Valley working with Graham Miller (Jimmy Watson Trophy Winner) and Sean Crinon (recently awarded James Halliday Best New Winery).
After completing her degree, she travelled overseas to work in Marlborough, New Zealand working with Sauvignon Blanc and then to the South of France near Avignon. On her return back home, she worked in a winery in McLaren Vale, SA where she found that small boutique wineries which produce handcrafted wines was the style she was passionate about.
Working in the Cellar Door at various wineries in the Yarra Valley, she loves talking to customers about wine.