Our People

TOM NORTHCOTT

General Manager and Head Winemaker

In search of the world’s greatest Dumpling and Rosé combination.

Chief wine guy and story slinger on the road. Tom’s approach is to pick at optimal ripeness for lean flavours to showcase the quality and true expression of our vineyards. A young dynamic winemaker constantly trialling new age techniques to make the most delicious Adelaide Hills Wine possible. Supported by the wealth of knowledge and occasional sledging of owner Ian Northcott.

Tom loves wines which are light to medium body with vibrant flavours and great natural acidity. Reflecting the Howard Vineyard style. Tom passionately looks for the sustainable ways to manager all parts of our viticulture, winemaking and hospitality business while always looking for ways to improve.

Loves BBQ’s with friends in the amazing Adelaide Hills with his partner Jacki and doggy Felix.

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WAYNE COLLINGS

Wine Ambassador

Howard Vineyard’s official advocate of good times and facilitator of all things wine and dine You’ll find Wayne in our beautiful Nairne Cellar Door and Clover + Stone Restaurant facility Sunday to Thursday. Stretching a few stories, having a laugh, heading up our hospitality crew and just generally singing the praises of everything Howard Vineyard.

Wayne is a born and bred Adelaidean who, after years of adventures abroad learning his craft, he has recently heeded the call of the Adelaide Hills and is now setting about making himself a bona fide Hills local.

Wayne is of the belief that wine chat shouldn’t be polarising and stiff, but instead inclusive and accessible to everyone, no matter what their starting point of knowledge. “Everybody that walks through our doors should feel as comfortable as they would walking into their own lounge room. We are in the business of providing great food and wine experiences, nothing more.”

CHANG KOOG LEE (COOKIE)

Head Chef

Cookie; the creator of all things delicious at Howard Vineyard and everyone’s favourite team member, particularly at lunch time.

Cookie came to Australia 8 years ago from Korea, to follow the love of his life and now wife Jenny, who also works in the Howard Vineyard kitchen and would have some questioning who is the actual Head Chef?!

Cookies brings with him a wealth of knowledge and skills and creates the perfect fusion of South East Asian and modern Australian flavours with a passion for sourcing local produce. Cookie never ceases to amaze and delight our taste buds as he creates each new seasonal menu.

Cookie bucks the much agreed myth that all chefs are a little bit insane. But when you regularly provide the whole team with delicious snacks you almost guarantee your ‘favourite staff member status.’

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ROBERT ANDREWARTHA

Accounts

Rob’s our financial whizz and the driving force behind our economic success. If we need any numbers crunching, Rob’s our man.

He brings year of experience in major events, hospitality and wine industry wine him. Rob’s worked in hotels, at the olympics, at the Adelaide 500 and several vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, making him an admin, accounting and logistics dynamo.

His attention to quality extends to his love of our excellent white wine and bubbles. And of course he rivals Cookie for the favourite staff member crown as he is the one who processes our pay!

KELLY WARD

Wedding Coordinator

Kelly is our wedding coordinator and a self confessed checklist fanatic. She studied Tourism and Event Management at Unisa and over the last 10 years has worked in numerous hospitality and event venues across the Adelaide Hills. A loud and proud Howard Vineyard fan long before being an employee, she knows the wines inside out. Her all time favourite would have to be the Amos Pinot Noir.

Kelly is always scouting new bars, wineries and restaurants and can’t help but give everyone in the office her ‘foodie’ review.

Her true passion lies with planning weddings and seeing the event all come together after months of planning. She loves a chat and building relationships with all the lovely couples and their families who celebrate their special days at Howard Vineyard. Kelly vouches that the most rewarding part of her role is seeing the newly weds depart the venue at the end of the night, buzzed on love.

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NATHAN FOREMAN

Viticulturist 

Nathan does not like to be cooped up inside. He much prefers to be out amongst the vines. Unless, it’s raining of course!

Having gained exposure in both small and commercial scale wine businesses in both domestic and international key regions including Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Murray Darling , Marlborough, Okanagan and Willamette Valley. Nathan appreciates the synergy between growing the grapes and making the wine.

Nathan’s primary role at Howard Vineyard is to not kill the vines. Like most viticulturists, he is a strong believer in the age old adage “great wine is made in the vineyard” and his general grape growing philosophy is “look after the soil and the soil will look after you”. Here at Howard Vineyard we believe a regenerative approach to enhancing soil health improves water use efficiency , reduces the reliance on synthetic chemicals and overall improves grape and wine quality and vineyard sustainability.

FELIX NORTHCOTT

Winery Dog and Social Media Star

The king of distraction and the main cause of low productivity in the office.

Felix enjoys laying in the sun, splashing in his wading pool, being the centre of attention, head and belly rubs for days, stealing Tom’s coffee.

He loves vineyard runs and the occasional treat from the kitchen but most of all he loves his humans Tom and Jacki.

Felix suffers FOMO and when anything with wheels leaves the premises he voices his displeasure and missing out.

Felix is much loved by the whole Howard Vineyard team and especially our social media family. He steal the show every time we bribe him into modelling for us. Thanks Felix!

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