THE
PEOPLE
The Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association (MPVA) is the peak industry body representing grape and wine producers of Mornington Peninsula to promote the wines and region, to represent and advocate for the region's wine industry to government and liaise with related industry and regional associations, and to provide technical and research support and activities to the wine industry.
It is an independent, not-for-profit membership association, funded by members' businesses, income from association-run events, with additional support from industry sponsors, and project-based ad hoc funding from all levels of government.
Since it's formation in 1982, the MPVA has had strong membership support of the region, representing approx. 80% of the production of the region in a cohesive and collaborative community. It is managed by an Executive Committee of elected members and has a full time CEO, and two part-time administrative staff.
The Committee
Marco Gjergja
Rollo Crittenden
Peter Dillon
Lindsay McCall
Martin Spedding
Tyson Lewis
Aaron Drummond
Tim Sexton
President
Tim graduated from Westminster Hotel School in London, and worked for 10 years in leading international hotels until redirecting his career to the catering industry. Tim was with the Spotless Group for 34 years, culminating in heading-up their Australian and New Zealand food businesses, including diverse operations such as the MCG, Sydney 2000 Games Village, EPICURE Catering, Melbourne Grand Prix, Geelong Grammar and a large airport retail brand portfolio.
Following corporate life and seeking an active ‘retirement’, in 2015 Tim and Libby purchased Main Ridge Estate from MP wine pioneers Nat and Rosalie White. Their sommelier son James Sexton came on board as winemaker, commencing a wine science degree. Over six vintages, the Sextons have successfully transitioned and improved the boutique MRE business, building on the forty-year legacy of the Whites.
Tim brings to MP Wine relevant experience in corporate business administration, project management, hospitality events and marketing, combined with the perspective of a small local winemaker.
Marco Gjergja
Vice President
Managing Director of Port Phillip Estate and Kooyong Wines, Marco Gjergja previously had a successful career in design and prior to that strategic management. Marco returned to Australia in 2010 and rose to the role of Managing Director in 2012.
With a single-minded yet humble approach and bold lateral thinking underpinned by a diverse cultural background, Marco leads his famil-owned vertically integrated business from vineyard to table. The business produces premium wine under the Kooyong, Port Phillip Estate and Quartier brands and its hospitality activities include a fine dining restaurant and boutique luxury accommodation. Marco’s appetite for delivering distinction is ever-evolving, and he is committed to a high quality and sustainability-focused industry.
Rollo Crittenden
Winemaker Rollo Crittenden has had the privilege of studying and working in many of the world’s most acclaimed wineries and wine regions. After completing vintages in California, Oregon, Italy and the Hunter Valley he returned to the family business, Crittenden Estate, in 2007 at the age of 30.
At the vineyard which he helped plant as a child some 25 years earlier Rollo continued the family tradition of producing classic French and Italian varieties as well as embarking on a project to make emerging Spanish style wines. His efforts were recognised in 2010 when he received the Australian Young Gun of Wine award. His deep commitment to the long-term sustainability of the land has also been instrumental in the business being awarded a number of internationally acclaimed Sustainable Wine-Growing awards. Rollo’s dedication to enhancing the Mornington Peninsula wine industry is also exemplified by his board position with Australian Grape and Wine and membership of the ASVO.
Peter Dillon
Treasurer
Peter Dillon knows his job is one of a kind. From travelling around Australia to across the globe keeping abreast of local and international wine news while overseeing all elements of Handpicked Wine’s operations, this devoted winemaker wanders where many would love to follow.
Managing vineyards and making wine on the Mornington Peninsula, Peter’s philosophy is both unique and undeniably true to producing quality wine. Offering wine selections from Tasmania, the Barossa Valley, Margaret River, Yarra Valley and of course the Mornington Peninsula, Handpicked Wines’ wide-ranging presentation of stellar product merges with Peter’s breadth of experience to result in a boon for the Mornington Peninsula. From his origins in Western Australia working with some of Australia’s most iconic brands, to working in the vineyard, winery, warehouse or on the bottling line, Peter brings his grass roots knowledge to the Handpicked Wines impressive tasting table.
Lindsay McCall
Chair of Shows
With no formal wine training yet over 100 wine show trophies for his Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, Lindsay McCall’s delivers in the determined winemaking stakes. After a wine epiphany with a Seville Estate Shiraz in 1980 leading him to plant a vineyard on an old orchard in Paringa Rd in 1984, this Economics graduate and ex-geography teacher who grew up milking cows, continued to teach while establishing the vineyard and winery after his first commercial vintage in 1988. Fast forward to 1995 when he was finally able to ‘give up his day job’ and become a full-time vigneron, and onto 2007 when Paringa Estate won the inaugural Halliday award for best winery in Australia, Lindsay hasn’t looked back.
A true pioneer of all things wine on the Mornington Peninsula, this hands-on winemaker with one of the few Pinot Noirs in the highly regarded Langton’s Classification, continues to excel and innovate.
Martin Spedding
Chair of Pinot Celebration Australia
Martin Spedding gets great satisfaction from seeing the personality of the vineyard communicate with consumers via the glass year after year. Committed to creating true to origin quality wines and best vineyard care for choice fruit creation, Ten Minutes by Tractor produces elegant, acclaimed wines sprung from the Mornington Peninsula’s excellent grape-growing maritime climate.
Martin’s mission to share “the naturally developing intense flavours produced during the long ripening season on the Peninsula” with the rest of the world is palpable. From his tech company CEO history to purchasing Ten Minutes by Tractor with his wife Karen in 2004 and going on to produce his dream Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals from three incredible vineyards ten minutes apart by tractor in the region, Martin is a dedicated champion of Australian cool-climate wines. Ever asking what is needed to grow the best fruit, his ongoing authentic enthusiasm delivers.
Tyson Lewis
Chair of Technical Committee
Tyson Lewis’ love of vineyard work began in the summer of 1988-’89 while travelling and continued as he worked across newly established vineyards and wineries on the Mornington Peninsula. Completing an Applied Science degree in Viticulture at Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga and working as far away as McLaren Vale, The Hunter Valley, Margaret River, and with two vintages in France expanding his winemaking capabilities, this active member of the Mornington Vignerons Association since 2001 is completely committed to his craft.
Working at Red Hill Estate, then as Chief Viticulturist at Cheviot Bridge while bringing up his family in Red Hill, Tyson joined forces with Hugh Robinson and Matt Frewer to form Peninsula Vine Care in 2014 after creating his own vineyard management business. Thrilled by seasonal challenges, this member of the Executive Committee since 2003 and chair of the Technical Sub-Committee’s inspirational quest to produce the best possible fruit season to season is unwavering and also sits on the Technical Committee of Australian Grape and Wine.
Aaron Drummond
Aaron Drummond Co-Owner & Managing Director, Stonier
Aaron grew up on the Mornington Peninsula. His foray into wine started in the early 2000’s when he started leasing a disused vineyard at a friend’s farm. From there it was a combination of building his own family wine businesses (Fallen Giants & Circe) and working across leading fine wine producers, initially Mount Langi Ghiran, and later Yering Station & Xanadu. In 2015 Aaron left for NZ to take up the GM role at iconic New Zealand Winery, Craggy Range. After 8 years in Hawke’s Bay, the opportunity to come home and be part of the next chapter of Stonier was too amazing to pass up.
Aside from Stonier, Aaron sits on the Board of Craggy Range and Brick Lane Brewing. He lives in Red Hill with his young family.
Sam Coverdale
From an 18-year-old vintage cellar-hand at Tyrells, to a Business and Wine Science degree graduate and student of French winemaker Jean Marc-Lafage, Sam Coverdale has developed a strong sense of the wine he loves to drink, make and share with fellow wine-loving adventurers.
Working across Australia’s wine regions with Hardys, then travelling to Spain, Italy and France before establishing Polperro by Even Keel in 2006, Sam has fine-tuned his organic-minded capabilities to create drinkable, balanced and elegant wines that continue to interest beyond the first glass. Surrounded by first-class vineyards and sensational surf beaches, Polperro represents everything that is magical about the Mornington Peninsula and the life Sam and his family enjoys, while Sam’s technical grounding and well-rounded experience results in wine that plays to the strength of region and authentic climatic conditions of each vintage. All this within close proximity to Melbourne.
Tiffyn Parsons
Brand Manager - Yabby Lake Vineyard.
Tiffyn is responsible for the brand management, brand development, strategic marketing and communications of the business' stable of renowned Victorian labels - Yabby Lake Vineyard (Mornington Peninsula), Heathcote Estate (Heathcote) and Red Claw Wines (sourced from both regions).
In this role, she drives the development and management of all trade and consumer marketing programs, sales promotions, corporate identity and brand creative, all content and communications across packaging, online and traditional mediums, strategic partnerships, sponsorships and events, media and public relations, packaging and promotional point-of-sale and merchandise. Marketing management of the brands also takes in the sites, with an established tourism and hospitality operation at Yabby Lake Vineyard.
Simon Lee
Growing up in the Perth Hills on a property that was originally a vineyard, and attending school in the Swan Valley, gave early exposure to the notion of viticulture.
An initial career in advertising set my sights on London where I lived for the next decade. Unable to land a job initially, I quickly turned to hospitality and was suddenly surrounded by wine labels that made no sense! My curiosity was aroused, and I was off to school (WSET) to study what was to become my new career. Next came a move to the Peninsula to raise a family and after a quick stint as a Sommelier, I soon turned to wine distribution with Joval Group. Brand management came next at Villa Maria followed by Greenstone Vineyards then eventually returning to Joval Family Wines to manage Tar & Roses.
Mike Aylward
Michael Aylward went into business with his parents in 2004, with a focus on making the highest-quality pinot noir and chardonnay on the Mornington Peninsula.
Plantings of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot gris over two sites combine to make a total of 14 hectares under vine. Michael has travelled extensively through Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne to determine the Ocean Eight style and the best-quality winemaking techniques.
His travels to Champagne were also the inspiration behind an Ocean Eight sparkling, made in very limited numbers when seasons are ideal for sparkling production.
Although the wines are grown and made on the Mornington Peninsula, the most salient Burgundian techniques are applied to take the wines to another level. It’s this attention to quality and detail that led to Michael being named ‘Young Gun of Wine’ in 2011.
Olivia Barrie, CEO
Welcome
Olivia was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association in early 2019, to represent one of the thriving regional treasures of the Australian wine landscape.
With over 20 years in the wine industry, Olivia’s international experience with some of Australia’s most admired premium wine businesses brings a new tempo to support the development of this valuable regional economic ecosystem diversified across agriculture, tourism and global sales.
Collaborating with industry and management bodies to devise and implement strategies to drive awareness and growth, Olivia also has a deep understanding of the machinations of successful wine regions having lived in the Barossa Valley for 15 years prior to moving to the Mornington Peninsula.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity create a sense of unity and purpose with the vignerons of the Mornington Peninsula. The quality of the wine here is outstanding, they are fine, elegant and sophisticated and the micro-climate has its own fingerprint. This truly is a very special place.”