Stories

Rollo Crittenden

Rollo Crittenden is the General Manager, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Crittenden. His intimate knowledge of the vineyard and thirst for cutting-edge winemaking has resulted in many accolades and awards.

Rollo won Young Gun Winemaker of the Year in 2010 and the BRIT-FIVS Platinum International Sustainable Winegrowing Award in 2020.

Sustainability throughout the winemaking process has become an area where Rollo has firmly established his name. He was a finalist in the Inaugural Dr Allan Antcliff Vineyard of the Year Award in 2021 then went on to win it in 2023. He focusses heavily on the bacteria and fungi present in compost to support the health in the soil and root systems, putting nutrients back into soil that can be depleted during the growing and ripening phase.

A thirst for knowledge and constant refinements in the way he manages the vineyard has enabled Rollo to increase the quality of his wine year on year.

Never one to shy away from discovery he and his winemaker Matt Campbell love nothing more than to experiment in the winery. Messing around with some fermentations was what led to their development of what has been touted as one of Australia’s most iconic wines: the flor aged The Cri de Coeur Savagnin. Winning the Drink Easy Award’s “Best overall Drink” in Australia 2021 was just one of the accolades this wine has become known for with industry experts consistently heaping praise on this obscure yet delightful wine.

It cannot go unmentioned that Rollo’s tenacity extends beyond his own vineyard and winery to the broader wine industry, and this is evident in his presence on industry boards. This includes being President of Mornington Peninsula Wine from 2020 – 2023 along with being a board member of the AGWI (Australian Grape and Wine Incorporated). Sharing his knowledge and assisting with the education of the next generation of Winemakers is particularly important to him, having grown up amongst the vines himself.

Rollo’s greatest achievement however is of course his family. With wife Linda, and two sons Oscar and Digby, Rollo continues to travel the world between vintages and enjoy the seaside lifestyle of the Mornington Peninsula.