Local winery honoured for excellence

SITUATED in the heart of the Bellarine Peninsula, Scotchmans Hill has been a leading local winery for more than 40 years.

Its award-winning wines, boutique bistro and cellar door experience and event capabilities, along with its more recent in-house bottling innovations, all work together maintain its reputation as one of Australia’s best wineries.

The business has now also been named a finalist in the 2024 Geelong Business Excellence Awards (GBEA), sponsored by LBW Business + Wealth Advisors.

Scotchman Hill’s chief winemaker Robin Brockett said the award entry process had helped the team celebrate its achievements and understand just how diverse the growing business had become.

“Quite often, you’re just working head down backside up, but you don’t ever stop to smell the roses,” he said.

“The whole process for the awards, I think, has made us a better company.

“It’s made us sit back and probably look at [the business] a lot closer than what we normally would, seeing the positives but also the things that we need to work on more to take the company to another level.”

He attributed the business’s ongoing success to its people – people who are passionate about what they do and are empowered to express their opinions.

“A business is only as good as the people that work in it,” Mr Brockett said.

“You can have all the greatest assets and money, but if you don’t have the right people working, and working together, then you won’t be a success.”

Beyond its own wine production, Scotchmans Hill provides contract winemaking and agricultural services to other vineyards and wine brands and has played a significant role in helping other wineries in the region to produce their own award-winning drops.

This assistance is something the team at Scotchmans Hill is all too happy to share.

“The better we all do, the better the region does and is perceived,” Mr Brockett said.

“We’re always excited when other people in the region…are doing big stuff and being successful because it reflects on all of us…and brings more people into the region.

“We welcome everybody in the region doing well, whether it’s people we work with or other people.”

This year’s GBEA category winners will be announced at a sold-out presentation event at The Pier Geelong on Thursday, October 17.

For more information, or to add your name to the celebration event’s waitlist, head to gbea.com.au