Our People

Nathan does not like to be cooped up inside — he much prefers to be out amongst the vines (unless it's raining). With exposure to both small and commercial wine businesses across key regions including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Murray Darling, Marlborough, Okanagan and the Willamette Valley, Nathan appreciates the synergy between growing the grapes and making the wine. His primary role is to not kill the vines; like most viticulturists he believes great wine is made in the vineyard, and his philosophy is 'look after the soil and the soil will look after you.' A regenerative approach to soil health improves water-use efficiency, reduces reliance on synthetic chemicals, and lifts grape and wine quality and vineyard sustainability.

Howard Vineyard's official advocate of good times and facilitator of all things wine out in the trade. You'll find Wayne floating between the venue and the driver's seat, spreading the good oil on all things Howard Vineyard — always stretching a few stories, having a laugh, and singing the praises of everything Howard. A born-and-bred Adelaidean who, after years of adventures abroad learning his craft, heeded the call of the Adelaide Hills and, with his family, made himself a bona fide local. Wayne believes the Adelaide Hills is at the forefront of the Australian wine conversation: 'Adelaide Hills grape growers and winemakers have started to make people stand up, take notice and realise it's no longer a region that should play second fiddle to those more celebrated South Australian stalwarts.'

Affectionately known as DJ, he started in Cellar Door pouring tastings and chatting with weekend customers in 2017. With a background in sales, management and brand development, DJ jumped at the chance to join full-time in 2022 and hit the ground running. A passionate HV supporter and ambassador, he plays a vital part in our customer communications, our website and social media, and showcasing our wines, venue and events — always a behind-the-scenes team player. DJ enjoys a glass (bottle) of sparkling most, matching his bubbly personality, followed by a Pinot Gris, Chardy or a light cool-climate red like our Pinot Noir or Sangiovese. Outside work: social catch-ups, entertaining, G&Ts, time with his dog Oreo (who graces the office most days), the odd game of golf, a Crows membership, and the occasional wine tour. Famously crowned 'King of Scones', he regularly bakes goodies for the team.

In 2018 Aaron married his wife Karina at Howard Vineyard, and the place took hold of him. Now he helps deliver wine from us to you — if it's logistics, he's got it covered — and dabbles in our Clover Society to keep wine on your shelf and in your fridge. You'll often see him running all over the grounds; he's not one to sit still and is always happy to help. New to wine compared to many, he's quickly catching up one glass at a time. Family and sport are his two biggest passions, often combined. His go-to is an Amos Pinot Noir with a chicken and chorizo paella.

Three-plus years at Howard Vineyard, starting as a server before becoming Restaurant Manager, Maddy is enthusiastic about exceptional service, a great team and — most importantly — the wine. An avid traveller who lived in Whistler, Canada for two years, she moved back to Adelaide and found the Adelaide Hills the closest she'd get to living in the mountains while staying near family. With a Bachelor of Wildlife Conservation Biology from Adelaide Uni, she's passionate about protecting the environment and animals — when she's not running the floor she can be found telling everyone off for misusing the organics bin or photographing birds to identify later. She still can't get her indoor plants to thrive, loves the outdoors, and is itching to get back to snowboarding.

Cookie — creator of all things delicious at Howard Vineyard and everyone's favourite team member, particularly at lunchtime. He came to Australia eight years ago from Korea, following the love of his life and now wife Jenny, who also works in the Howard Vineyard kitchen — leaving some to question who the actual head chef is. Cookie brings a wealth of knowledge and skill, creating the perfect fusion of South-East Asian and modern Australian flavours with a passion for local produce, and never ceases to delight as he builds each new seasonal menu. He bucks the much-agreed myth that all chefs are a little bit insane — though regularly providing the whole team with delicious snacks almost guarantees 'favourite staff member' status.

You'll find her at Howard's most days — sometimes working, often curing her FOMO with a glass at the bar. Not a wine drinker before, we fixed that rapidly with an Amos Pinot Noir addiction. When she's not soaking up the sun in the grounds, she's raising her three kids and exploring the Adelaide Hills with family. Sherida loves being active, which has primed her for furniture-moving, barrel-rolling and organising the venue for our stunning weddings. Look out for her big grin and infectious energy at weddings, in the restaurant and behind the scenes.

Sally is our Accounts & Administration Manager and joined our Howard Vineyard
team in September 2024.

What Sally love's about HV: It's a tie between the wine and the people. After
working for another winery for over 13years it was a little daunting to change
jobs. From day one I was welcomed with open arms and made to feel like part of
the team by the wonderful people at HV. The wines are also fantastic.

Sally's passions are: My fur kids - Horse and puppy. For over 20yrs I was a dressage competitor, competing at State & National level. While I no longer compete, I still enjoy riding my boy Sans to keep him and me in shape. My dog Winston also keeps me busy. We enjoy our daily walks, playing ball and gardening. I fill in his holes in the lawn and he digs them out again!!

Fun Facts about Sally:

Nickname: No surprises here..... Mustang

Coffee: Cappuccino (with extra choccie on
top)

Fav Wine: 1 am now in love with both HV Sparklings Blanc de Blanc and PNC. My go to wine is usually something with bubbles.

Best known for: Having a quick wit and having a laugh.

What the team loves about Sally: Sally has just fit right into the team from the
beginning. What we love most is.... Sally pays us!

And keeps us all accountable for our incomings and outgoings.

But mostly....because she pays us!

Cheers to Mustang Sally!

Passionate about all things Adelaide Hills, especially the wine industry, where Deb has over 25 years of experience. Her biggest love is working in our Cellar Door — meeting new people, creating memorable experiences and nurturing relationships with a genuine attitude, always going above and beyond. You'll find Deb with a welcoming smile, a cheery hello and sincere delight in hosting our wine-tasting experiences. Her adoration for Howard Vineyard started years ago as a local and regular visitor, enjoying a glass or two of Amos Chardonnay.

The king of distraction and the main cause of low productivity in the office. Felix enjoys lying in the sun, splashing in his wading pool, being the centre of attention, head and belly rubs for days, and 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 from FOMO — when anything with wheels leaves the premises, he voices his displeasure at missing out. He's much loved by the whole team and especially our social media family, and steals the show every time we bribe him into modelling for us. Thanks Felix!