As the chief winemaker and viticulturist, Andrew Ewart's role is to ensure that the vineyards produce the best quality grapes possible which are then crafted into Mountadam's range of premium wines.

Born in Singapore and raised in New Zealand, Ewart studied Horticultural Science at Lincoln University in Canterbury, New Zealand and later at University of California, where he was awarded a Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology.

As the chief winemaker, Ewart strives to seek out methods to improve on quality with continual experiments in the vineyard and winery. He was responsible for developing the popular Vintrac computer program that was designed to assist winemakers manage the flow of materials in the winery.

Renowned in Australia as a pioneer Chardonnay producer, Mountadam also includes a premium red blend known as 'The Red', a Shiraz known as 'The Patriarch' and Pinot Noir.

Winery: Mountadam

The great wines of Burgundy have been known for almost a thousand years; Bouchard Père & Fils has existed for over 270 years. "It is not pure chance. First the Cistercian monks, then the Dukes of Burgundy, the landowners, and finally a great number of growers selected the best land along the slopes of the Côte d'Or, ideally suited for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The reputation of the wines of Burgundy, as that of Bouchard Père & Fils, is therefore the result of hundreds of years of striving for perfection."

Bernard Hervet holds the reins of this outstanding winery as the General Manager since 1988. Having also served as the President of Chablis Delegation of the Burgundy Wine Council since 2001, Hervet holds a degree from the Institut International des Entreprises in Paris as well as a degree in Viticulture and Winemaking.

Winery: Bouchard Père & Fils

"The House of Hugel is the most widely known and one of the oldest of Alsatian negociant firms, being established in 1639" - .The Wines of Eastern France, J. Baxevanis
Hugel & Fils' wine business appears to be a sign of destiny. In 1639, Hans-Ulrich left his native country of Switzerland during the Thirty Years War (1618-48) and decided to settle in Riquewihr, a small, fortified town nestling in a hollow, surrounded by vineyards. For 12 generations in direct line, the Hugel family has struggled to restore the reputation Alsace wine enjoyed in the 16th century.

Today, Etienne Hugel has no reason not to be proud of the Hugel Family. "We have the rare luxury of working for our passion with no other shareholders to please than ourselves. My great-grandfather used to advise his sons: " Run your business so that when you meet the banker he has to greet you more cordially than you need to greet him!" He would be very proud today to know that his family has been invited by its peers to be a member of the Primum Familiae Vini".

Winery: Hugel & Fils

At Duval-Leroy, more than 35 people manage the vineyard all year round, giving each vine the attention and loving care that it needs. For the harvest, 350 grape pickers join the permanent staff for the major event in the wine grower's calendar. The in-house presses receive the grapes as they are picked along with those purchased from other growers.

Malcolm Davis' career began in the 1970's, when he was appointed marketing chief of Jardine's Wine & Spirit Division in Hong Kong in 1975. Davis' extensive experience in the wine industry also includes Hutchison Whampoa, Hiram Walkers in Tokyo and Harveys of Bristol in UK. During his 11 years with Hiram Walkers, Davis was responsible for the setting-up of the Suntory-Allied Domecq J.V., and for the expansion of all the Allied brands. He also pioneered the establishment of Allied's first wines and spirits import and distribution ventures in Korea.

Winery: Champagne Duval-Leroy

Marco Fantinel founded the well-established Fantinel family estate in 1969. Known and admired for his long experience as hotelier and restaurateur, "Paron" Marco was driven by the passion to dedicate to the conviviality of the hospitality business. The two vocations fused together to eventually turn the love for the land, the vineyards and the wine-making art into a single reality. This was inevitably so, due to one strong influence - "Paron" Marco's genuine passion and dedication in ensuring the success of his dream.

"Paron" Marco followed his calling to become a grape owner and offer wines of excelling quality that would meet the requirements of an increasingly demanding and sophisticated clientele. The vice-president of Fantinel is a proud father of his two sons, Luciano and Gianfranco, and daughter Loris and today, at their side are his grandchildren, bearing proof that the attachment and respect for the long vine rows run deep in the Fantinel Family.

Winery: Fantinel

Michel Chapoutier
- Owner
M. Chapoutier, France

Since its inception in 1808, seven generations have followed to build up one of the most magnificent domains in the Rhone Valley.

In 1990, Michel Chapoutier took over the reins of this resolutely family-based and independent wine house. Under his committed guidance, M.Chapoutier has continued to spread towards other French wine regions, and has even broken through its country's frontiers to breach wine making in the "New World", especially in Australia.

It has also undergone a radical change in cultivation methods as owner Michel Chapoutier, a fervent defender of the soil, has converted the entire domain over to bio-dynamic cultivation. Moreover, Michel Chapoutier's pioneering spirit can be exemplified by his humanistic and innovative use of Braille labelling and by the creation of the award for the Best Young Sommelier of France.

Winery: M. Chapoutier

Patrick D. Dodd
- Director of Marketing, Fine Wine Education and Training
Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery, USA

A native of the State of Illinois, Patrick Dodd moved to California in 1985, to work for the E. & J. Gallo Winery after taking a degree in political science and business from the University of Notre Dame.

As director of marketing and education, Dodd develops wine appreciation training programs for distributors, customers, and consumers. For the last 15 years, Dodd has studied the science and art of winemaking extensively at Gallo and at the University of California, Davis, School of Viticulture and Enology; and maintained his professional focus on E. & J. Gallo's ever-growing portfolio of fine wines.

E. & J. Gallo Winery has become the world's foremost winery in the art and science of grape growing and winemaking over the past six and a half decades. In June 2002, E. & J. Gallo was awarded an unprecedented 43 medals, including double gold medals at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. E. & J. Gallo's fame also include having won 31 medals including five Gold medals at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2002 as well as being named the 'Best Chardonnay Worldwide" in 2001 at the International Wine & Spirit Competition for its Sonoma Stefani Vineyard Chardonnay 1997.

Winery: Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery

Thierry de Tourniel
- General Manager
Baron Philippe de Rothschild

With an inclination towards wines since young, Thierry de Tourniel still has the same enthusiasm now. De Tourniel joined the Rothschild brothers in the 1996 as the director of public relations in Europe and subsequently over looked the North America market which includes Mexico and Canada. Steering this celebrated winery into the new millennium, de Tourniel foresees the Château adopting a new edge to capture more adventurous wine drinkers in this region.

Since 1933, Baron Philippe de Rothschild. S.A. located at Pauillac in the Médoc, has been motivated by a constant ambition: to make the world's finest wines, each in its own category, whether the châteaux wines for which it is responsible - the renowned Château Mouton Rothschild, a First Growth, and its distinguished lieutenants, Château Clerc Milon and Château d'Armailhac - or branded wines, like the famous Mouton Cadet as well as Almaviva in Chile.

Winery: Baron Phillippe de Rothschild