By Amy Looker, editor National Liquor News
There has been some shuffling across the wine industry at the start of 2015 with a number of key staff appointments taking place.
Torbreck Vintners has welcomed Stuart Barrie and Matt Lane to its team, with Barrie taking on the role of marketing and communications manager while Lane will head up Torbreck’s Americas operations as vice president.
Barrie joins Torbreck with a solid wine background in both the UK and Australia, most recently working at Grant Burge Wines as the marketing projects managers.
Prior to this he held the position of communications manager for Chateau Tanunda, established the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) in South Australia and was also a wine buyer and journalist in the UK.
Lane’s was previously the vice president of the Americas for Peter Lehmann Wines, vice president of Treasury Wines’ Heirloom Wine Group and was also the education director in America for Penfolds.
Delegat Australia has promoted Rachel Hebbard to the role of national sales manager.
Hebbard has been with Delegat Australia since 2005 in a number of roles, including account manager, state sales manager and national accounts manager.
“I’m excited to take on this challenge. I look forward to ensuring that Oyster Bay continues to resonate with consumers and provide a compelling profit opportunity to our trade partners, and I am passionate about achieving our ambitious goals to bring the Barossa Valley to the world like never before with the Barossa Valley Estate brand,” Hebbard said.
After more than 10 years at Deakin Estate, Dr. Phil Spillman has handed over the winemaking responsibilities to Frank Newman.
Newman has a long history of winemaking, including working alongside Max Schubert at Penfolds in the creation of Grange.
He was also chief winemaker and production manager at Angoves for more than a decade and also made wine for BRL Hardy’s Renmano.