Geraldine McFaul

Willow Creek Vineyard

Born and raised in the farming town of Mudgee NSW, Geraldine was surrounded by agriculture from a young age. As she grew Geraldine developed a taste for wine, so combining her love of the land with her interest in wine seemed the logical place to begin her career.

Following months of backpacking through the wine regions of Europe, Geraldine began studying winemaking at Charles Sturt University. During these formative years, Geraldine worked in Charles Sturt’s commercial winery, worked vintage on the Mornington Peninsula and Loire Valley, before returning to the peninsula to work full time at Stonier.

After 12 years at Stonier, Geraldine was keen for a new challenge. Geraldine had heard that the small team at Willow Creek Vineyard were looking for a new winemaker. The prospect of working with some of the oldest vines on the Mornington Peninsula on a family owned and operated property was certainly attractive. Geraldine joined the Willow Creek Vineyard team in October 2008.

Geraldine strives to make the best wines from Willow Creek Vineyard’s estate-grown fruit, with as little winemaking intervention as possible. Preferring to do less, not more, Geraldine keeps in check the temptation to use lots of new oak or extraction techniques, concentrating instead on letting the vineyard terroir shine through. After a long day in the vineyard, how does this busy young winemaker and mother relax? A long walk on Somer’s beach followed by of a game of Scrabble with husband Arthur, usually does the trick. But nothing quite relaxes her like a great glass of pinot noir.

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