Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA) has announced the appointment of Ben Rose as the new greater Victoria and Tasmania representative on the WGGA executive committee.

Lawrie Stanford, WGGA executive director, said Rose – a viticulture consultant with more than 15 years’ experience – was qualified to represent the greater Victorian and Tasmanian winegrape growing community.

“Rose has expertise in a number of areas from economics and business through to the technical dimensions of viticulture,” Stanford said.  

Rose grew up in the wine industry and founded Performance Viticulture almost 20 years ago. While he still has an active involvement with the family vineyard, he also maintains clients in Australia and abroad. Key clients include Barwite Vineyard, Merindoc Vintners and Shelmerdine Wines.

“Wine Victoria is delighted to find a candidate of such high calibre to be its representative on the national grapegrower organisation,” Damien Sheehan, Wine Victoria chair said. “With all of Ben’s commitments, we are thrilled he has been able to make the time for this important national role.”

Vic Patrick, WGGA chair, echoed Sheehan’s comments, saying Rose’s appointment was positive news for the organisation after the loss of Kym Ludvigsen, the previous greater Victoria and Tasmania representative.

Rose’s first executive committee meeting for WGGA was held in Mildura in late August where discussion topics included:

• The arrangement for next steps in WGGA’s biosecurity program
• Reforms underway to the Australian wine industry Code of Conduct between growers and wine companies
• WGGA’s program to make proven, safe and reliable agricultural chemicals available to winegrape growers
• The ongoing campaign to improve commercial practices between growers and wine companies that will yield better results for both winegrape growing businesses and the wine sector as a whole.

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