A Drinks Trade Promotion
DUXTON VINEYARDS
A MODERN VISION FOR AUSTRALIAN WINEMAKING DRINKS TRADE SPEAKS TO WAYNE ELLIS, GENERAL MANAGER OF DUXTON VINEYARDS, ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST GRAPE PRODUCERS, WITH AN INCREDIBLE FOOTPRINT SPANNING ACROSS THE MILDURA AND THE SUNRAYSIA REGIONS OF NSW. WE GAIN INSIGHTS INTO THE INNOVATION AND FUTURE-FORWARD MODEL BEHIND THIS CONTEMPORARY WINEMAKING GIANT, AND HOW IT IS LEADING THE WAY FORWARD FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE WINE INDUSTRY. Could you speak to the origins of Duxton Vineyards and its business model? What is Duxton’s purpose/ vision? Who is behind it? Duxton Vineyards is a venture founded in 2015, administered by Duxton Capital Australia. Duxton Vineyards’ total vineyard area is 2,465 hectares, making Duxton Vineyards the fifth largest vineyard land holding in Australia. We produce 70,000 tonnes of diverse grape varieties across the Southern Murray Darling Region, but in addition to our core wine grape assets, Duxton Vineyards also owns 24 hectares of citrus orchards and operates a commercial nursery for its replanting requirements and contract work for other growers. In July 2019, Duxton Vineyards acquired the historic Stanley Winery, Australia’s fifthlargest winery, providing our business with control of its supply chain from nursery to wine. Duxton Vineyards purpose is to be the partner of choice for customers wishing to purchase grapes, bulk wine or bottled wine from warm-climate regions. We supply branded products as well as partner on own-label products to help deliver diverse solutions for customers.
44 drinks trade
Wayne Ellis, General Manager of Duxton Vineyards
Duxton Vineyards is one of Australia’s largest vineyard holders yet prides itself on being nimble, agile and personable. How do you maintain high-quality products and efficient operations while upholding high customer and B2B service standards? Duxton Vineyards has an experienced and highly credentialled team of industry experts at the helm across our vineyards, winery, and commercial operations. We look for the right expertise in all aspects of our business to ensure we can pass on that knowledge and advice to our stakeholders and consumers. Tony Allen, our Chief
Dylan Klingbiel, Environmental Manager of Duxton Vineyards
Winemaker, holds over thirty-years’ experience within the wine industry, for example. While Scott Bell, our Commercial Director, brings extensive experience across a wide range of industry sectors including wine, retail, manufacturing and sales. We also have a dedicated Environmental Manager, Dylan Klingbiel, who manages all stages of development and implementation of our environmental strategies. It is this close-knit team of experts and our pro-active customer service approach that makes us very different to other largescale vineyard holders.
