Lindsay Ross - Winemaker

Lindsay Ross was born near New Zealand's famous wine growing region of Henderson / Auckland. This proximity encouraged him to seek a career in the wine industry, a career that has lead him across the world from New Zealand to Europe and later Australia.

A big statement, which is not made, idly! But in the knowledge that the experience he gained in all disciplines of viticulture, wine making and wine marketing over the years cannot be gained in a classroom.

Lindsay began his pilgrimage to Central Victoria at Montana Wines in New Zealand which was then the most progressive wine business in New Zealand.

The travel bug then took him to Europe for an extended stay in Germany working on the 1979 vintage and post vintage bottling with Heinrich Kblor a reputable winemaker in the Rheinphaiz.

Lindsay returned to the Southern Hemisphere armed with his new found European winemaking skills and immediately took part in the 1980 Rothbury Estate vintage. A winery founded through the vision of Len Evans.

Rothbury Estate gave Lindsay an opportunity to appreciate the corporate style of a modern Australian winery.

Further travels lead  him eventually to Balgownie Estate, a highly regarded family owned winery that allowed him to be involved with the total business and its development under the stewardship of Stewart Anderson a pioneer of the resurging Victorian wine industry.

During this phase Lindsay undertook academic studies with Charles Sturt University earning a diploma in Viticulture in 1985.

The Balgownie vineyard was purchased in the mid-eighties by Mildara Wines. This gave Lindsay the opportunity to be associated with the restructuring and growth of a major wine company at a managerial level.

Achieving a career path at Balgownie Estate that lead from the vineyard to chief winemaker has been a satisfying consolidation of Lindsay's wine making philosophy which has lead to an enviable list of award winning wines.

Applying his knowledge of what he believed constituted a successful quality wine business  Lindsay began an extensive search for a suitable property of his own.

The search included possibilities in both Australia and New Zealand before he found a perfect block of land in Heathcote, just 70 Kilometers south of Bendigo.

So was born `The Bridge Vineyard' - a venture Lindsay sees as the culmination of his winemaking career where he can showcase his winemaking philosophy and create a unique, `natural' vineyard using a minimum of intervention.

The Bridge Vineyard cellar door is expected to open soon where visitors can acquire a `good bottle' and have a chance to kick back with Lindsay and his partner Noeline and on one of those lazy weekend outings.