Executive Board

Dr Anthony Robinson

Non-executive Director
President 2017 – current
Term: May 2014, re-elected Nov 2017
Qualifications: BSc (Hons) PhD, MAICD
Other appointments: Non-executive Director and Secretary AWITC Inc., Non-executive Director NPEC Pty Ltd., Member AWITC Planning Committee, previously Chair AJGWR Advisory Committee, Member WIAWA Technical Committee, Member WFA WINEC, Member Perth Royal Wine Show Committee, Member Margaret River Wine Show Committee.

Dr Anthony Robinson resides in the Barossa Valley and is the Grape and Wine Innovation Strategist for Treasury Wine Estates. He has worked in a range of roles across the wine industry over the last 18 years from retail to research to viticultural management and winemaking. As a winemaker, he has produced wines for innovative and award winning brands, while as a researcher, he has published a number of peer reviewed papers on wine chemistry and sensory science. Anthony has organised and presented at technical conferences in Germany, France, USA and Australia. He has also been actively involved with Australian wine industry bodies, such as WFA, ASVO, and AWITC, and is an advocate for independent wine benchmarking through the show system.

Brooke Howell

Non-executive Director
Term: Elected 2017
Vice President 2018
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science (viticulture), Bachelor of Science (Honours) majoring in Viticulture
Other appointments: Chair Barossa Viticulture Technical Group
Program Coordinator Barossa Future Leaders Program
Member of industry reference group for Barossa Terroir
Judge South Australia Pruning Championships

Brooke is the Viticulturist/Technical Manager for Yalumba Family Winemaker’s company owned vineyards, where she has worked since December 2010. Brooke studied Viticulture at the University of Adelaide and also completed her Honours prior to commencing at Yalumba. Based in the Barossa Valley, Brooke oversees trial work and technical management of 800Ha of vineyards in both warm and cool climate South Australia at both a premium and commercial level. Brooke has presented trial work at grower seminars and AWITC workshops both at a company and regional level in order to encourage growers to adopt viticultural best practice.

Kristy Bartrop

Non-Executive Regional Director – New South Wales & ACT
Treasurer 2015-16, 2018 – current
Term: Elected 2012, re-elected 2014, 2016, 2018
Qualifications: BAppSc (Food Science), MMgt, M(Ethics & Legal Studies)
Other appointments: Non-Executive director AWITC inc.

Kristy is the Viticulture Technical Manager at Casella Management, overseeing the company owned vineyards in NSW since 2016. Casella Management operates over 2,300Ha of vineyard in the Riverina. Prior to this role, Kristy was the Industry Development Officer at the Wine Grapes Marketing Board for 8 years. The Wine Grapes Marketing Board is a statutory authority that represents over 400 independent Riverina wine grape growers.Previously she has worked as a Research Assistant at CSIRO Land & Water, and as Food and Wine Industry Teacher at the Riverina TAFE Wine and Food Technology Centre. Kristy is currently undertaking a third Masters degree by Distance Education in Viticulture and Oenology from Charles Sturt University. Kristy was also a participant in the 2012 Wine Industry Future Leaders program.

Kristy is passionate about the future of the Australian wine industry and believes the ASVO’s provision of the latest research findings and technical information is invaluable for the industries viticultural and wine making professionals.

Matt Holdstock

Non-executive Director
Secretary & Public Officer, 2014-current
Chair: Wine Show Sub-committee
Term: elected 2013 re-elected 2015, 2017
Qualifications: BSc Flinders, GradDip (Oen) UniAdel

Matt is a Senior Oenologist in the Industry Development and Support Group at the Australian Wine Research Institute. He graduated from Flinders University in 1996 with a BSc majoring in chemistry, and commenced at the AWRI in the Commercial Services laboratory the same year. Matt completed a postgraduate degree in oenology in 2003 at the University of Adelaide. He has worked vintages in Sonoma Valley in 2003 and Bordeaux in 2006. Matt has judged at several Australian wine shows, and participates in tastings for the AWRI’s sensory panel, the Advanced Wine Assessment Course, Winestate Magazine and Wine Australia’s Export Approval panel (2009-2012). Matt has also lectured at the University of Adelaide, Wine Australia, WSET, the Institute of Masters of Wine and the Interwinery Analysis Group. In his current role Matt provides technical advice to winemakers on a daily basis to help solve production issues and provide support for best practice wine production. Matt is also involved with research projects on Brettanomyces, wine packaging, wine flavours, taints and faults.

Dr Mardi Longbottom

Non-executive Director
Chair: Awards Sub-committee
ASVO President (2014-16) and Vice President (2013 and 2017)

Term: elected 2013, re-elected 2015 and 2017
Qualifications: BAgSci (VitSci), MVit, PhD
Other appointments: Director Australian Vignerons (2013-2019), Director Australian Grape and Wine Inc., member AWITC planning committee (2016 and 2019), member Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council Technical subcommittee (2013-present). Previously, member of Wine Grape Council of South Australia, Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council and WFA WINEC (2012-2015).

Dr Mardi Longbottom is a Senior Viticulturist at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) where she has worked since 2011. For the past ten years, Mardi has focussed on research and extension of wine industry sustainability projects including the management of corporate water assets, climate risk analyses and benchmarking greenhouse gas emissions from vineyards. In her current role Mardi manages the Australian wine industry’s sustainability program, ‘Entwine Australia’ and provides technical support to Australia’s wine grape growers through the AWRI roadshow program and helpdesk.

Richard Fennessy

Non-executive Regional Director – Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland & ACT
Term: elected 2018
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science (viticulture and oenology)
Other appointments: Wine Australia Regional Program Partner (WA), Member Wines of WA Technical Committee, Committee Member Western Australian Vine Improvement Association, Member National Wine Research & Extension Network

Richard is a grape and wine Research Officer with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development based in Bunbury WA. Prior to joining the department in November 2008, Richard has worked in wineries in Margaret River, Mildura, Griffith, Marlborough (New Zealand), Napa Valley (America), Burgundy (France) and Ontario (Canada). Richard’s current role involves applied research with a current focus on alternative varieties and clonal performance. Richard is widely recognised as an effective communicator, regularly producing technical publications, industry workshops and newsletters of state and national significance.

Chris Brodie

Non-executive Director
Term: elected 2017
Qualifications: BHort
Other appointments:Coonawarra Vignerons Viticulture & Oenology committee, AWRI agrichemical reference group, Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production Advisory Committee

Chris is General manager- vineyards for Wingara Wine Group based at Katnook Estate in Coonawarra.

Chris studied Horticulture at Massey University in New Zealand and moved to Australia in 1997.

Chris has been actively involved in industry bodies including, Coonawarra Vignerons, South Australian Wine Industry Association,

Chris is passionate about Coonawarra, maintaining it’s sustainability well into the future, this also carries through into the wider industry promoting research to improve grape and wine quality, and grower profitability.

Associate Professor Paul Grbin

Non-executive Regional Director – South Australia
Term: elected 2016, re-elected 2018
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma in Wine, PhD
Other appointments: Non-Executive director AWITC inc., Founder University of Adelaide Alumni Council

Paul is Associate Professor of Oenology and has been involved in the Australian wine industry for more than 25 years, in retail, production, teaching and research roles. He is a qualified winemaker and completed a PhD while working at the Australian Wine Research Institute. Paul’s teaching comprises aspects of wine microbiology, packaging and quality management, and fermentation technology. His research interests largely focus on wine microbiology, including the physiology of wine yeast and lactic acid bacteria as well as the importance of sustainable practices for the control of grapevine diseases, and the efficient and effective biological treatment of winery wastewater. Paul also established the University of Adelaide’s Wine Alumni Network.

	Andy Clarke Non-executive Regional Director -Victoria Term: elected 2018 Qualifications: B. Ag. Science (viticulture), Nuffield Scholar 2015 Other appointments: Board member of Vinehealth Australia, member of the Yarra Valley Winegrowers Technical Subcommittee and member of the Victorian Government WineMAC and Victorian Viticultural Biosecurity Committee.
Mr Andy Clarke is a viticultural advisor with The Dirt Dude, based out of Bendigo Victoria. Prior to this Andy was the Chief Viticulturist for Yering Station in the Yarra Valley, part of the Rathbone Wine Group, and was the 2015 Nuffield Scholar, sponsored by Wine Australia. Experience within a significant number of wine regions across Australia in both a vineyard management and hands on and fruit sourcing capacity. Previous roles in the industry have included, Grower Services manager for Normans Wines in McLaren Vale and the Riverland, Vineyard manager in Mclaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Barossa for Nepenthe Wines, Technical agronomist for De Bortoli Wines in the Yarra Valley along with several winery vintages in WA and Victoria. I am passionate about the future of the wine industry and the capabilities of its people. The Society’s ability to provide sound scientific evidence with practical outcomes is critical to the long term sustainability of our industry. This enables the up skilling and retention of our present and future workforce, and this is a platform I wish to contribute to.
	Chris Waters Executive Director (ex officio) Qualifications: B.Ed. (Hons)
Chris has been a dedicated and dependable part of the ASVO team for eight years. A genuine, personable, professional who somehow manages competing multiple tasks simultaneously and follows through to achieve project goals. Recently promoted to Executive Officer, Chris continues to apply his skills, knowledge, networks and passion for the Society with a steadfast commitment to serving members and building on the society’s strong momentum.