Savouring success–from the cellar door to New York City

Posted on 6 September, 2019

A discussion about wine during a blind date at King O’Malleys in Canberra 10 years ago sparked Sarah McDougall’s successful career in the wine industry.

While Sarah remains passionate about winemaking, it’s her passion and expertise as a business owner that secured her nomination in this year’s Australian Women in Wine Awards.

Sarah is a finalist in the Owner/Operator category, recognising women who are not just producing wine, but running an entire business, from budgets and staffing to product development and sales.

“It’s very exciting to be nominated. I’m one of three finalists in this category and the competition will be hard to beat. They’re amazing women,” says Sarah.

A leader and innovator in the Canberra district wine scene, Sarah has been developing her Summerhill Road Vineyard at Bywong for the past six years. Last year she purchased Lake George Winery with the man she met on that blind date, now her husband, Anthony. Sarah, Anthony and their five children are enjoying life at the scenic Lake George vineyard.

“In the past 12 months, we’ve hand-harvested 50 tonnes of grapes and released a new range of red and white wines. I’ve launched a new brand to reflect the direction of the winery, refreshed the running of the cellar door and ramped up our communication and marketing. We also picked up a win for Best Cellar Door with Food with Gourmet Traveller Wine 2019,” says Sarah.

The Australian Women in Wine Awards acknowledges and rewards the work of women in the Australian wine community, and community leaders who champion equality and fairness for all sexes in the workplace.

“In the wine industry, about one-third of employees are women. These awards are not only about showcasing the achievements of women in the wine industry, but getting other women interested too. If you want to be a winemaker, you can. You can get your hands dirty, you can drive the truck, you can make the wine—so for me that’s really important too.

“This nomination is also about shining a light on the Canberra wine region. I’m the only one nominated in this region, so I feel I have the Canberra wine district on my shoulders, and it would be great for me to have a win.”

Sarah is a proud promoter of the region. As Secretary of the Canberra District Wine Industry Association, she actively supports the growing tourism scene.

Dating back to 1971, the Canberra wine district is young compared with South Australian and Victorian vineyards established in the 1800s. However, the region’s unique climate produces award-winning wines and, with more than 40 wineries within 30 minutes of Canberra, a growing number of people are spending their weekends wine tasting or joining specialty tours showcasing the local wine and produce.

“My husband and I love Canberra, we love promoting Canberra. It used to be the best-kept secret but now word is getting out. We want to bring people to Canberra to see something other than our famous buildings and galleries. That’s why we’re a major sponsor of DESIGN Canberra, because that’s about thinking outside the box, and for us there is that marvellous synergy between the creativity of winemaking and design.

“Last year we created a special sparkling wine for DESIGN Canberra, which was a huge hit. We want to do something different this year and the DESIGN Canberra launch event is the best party in Canberra!”

Sarah will soon find out if she can add national award-winner to her list of achievements. Winners in the Australian Women in Wine Awards will be announced at a special ceremony in New York on Tuesday 17 September 2019—kicking off a major Australian wine campaign, USA Aussie Wine Month.

Canberrans can cheer Sarah on during a live telecast on Wednesday 18 September, from 10 am to 12 pm at: womeninwineawards.com.au/watch-the-awiwa-2019-ceremony

Good luck Sarah!

HerCanberra is a proud sponsor of DESIGN Canberra 2019