Former Pernod Ricard winemaker, Brock Harrison, has joined the winemaking team at Elderton, answering a question his dad, a neighbour of the winery, asked back in 2002.
At that point Dean Harrison saw the winery being built and asked his new neighbours, “Are you going to give our kids a job”, it may have taken a few years but the question has finally been answered positively.
Brock went on to study Oenology at Adelaide University and also worked at the Elderton Cellar Door to help fund his way through his winemaking degree.
Speaking about Brock’s time with the winery, Elderton said: “When it came time for Brock to undertake his first vintage in 2005, which is mandatory as part of the winemaking degree, Cameron and Allister (the second generation brothers who run the company) knew he would work out well in our cellar.
“He was enthusiastic throughout vintage and won our inaugural ‘Broken Shovel Award’, given to the hardest working cellar hand. He was the person that broke the shovel in eagerness to set a record time for digging out a nine tonne open fermenter full of Shiraz skins.”
After graduating Brock joined the Pernod Ricard team and spent 13-and-a-half years at the company and brings all that experience with him to his new chapter at Elderton.
The team at Elderton added: “We are very excited to have Brock aboard and know that he will work in harmony with Julie Ashmead to create the next generation of stunning wines.”