Our Team

ALON – Owner + Maker

Alon was a disenchanted engineering student in his final year when, in 2000, Jodi decided (as wives do!) that winemaking was a much more appropriate career choice and enrolled him in winemaking! After arriving to Australia in his mid 20s and being introduced to wine and then collecting, drinking and talking about it a lot!, Jodi thought that it was obvious, Alon should be really good at making it!

As owner and winemaker of a small business that started out as 20 acres of vines and a couple of run-down sheds (re-purposed into a ‘winery’), Alon is, in addition to Maker of Bella Ridge wines - a ‘jack of all trades’ embarking on duties that never featured in the role of a winemaker when studying at Uni! Fortunately Alon has adapted particularly well and is making some pretty fine wines along the way!

JODI – Owner

With original qualifications in physical education and public health, Jodi is utilising these skills (plus quite a few more newly acquired ones!) to carry out most of the non-winery related 'stuff' of Bella Ridge - admin, finance, marketing, sales and also sometimes delivery driver. 

Ella and Tal

Ella was only 3 months old when we embarked on our journey of becoming grape growers and makers of interesting, characterful wines (whilst navigating first time parenthood!). Tal came along a short time later. In the early years, both were very hands on at quality control, making sure each grape was particularly delicious! Now many years later, both Ella and Tal are starting to become more involved in the family business.

FRANK AND LOIS PASS 

It only seemed fair that Jodi’s parents came out of retirement to help… after all they discovered the property.

Although transitioning into retirement for the second time (or trying to!) Lois and Frank have been involved from the very beginning and assist in the vineyard and winery with anything and everything.

Frank has even made the transition from beer to wine - Bella Ridge of course! Lois is still a work in progress.

Brett Jones

Brett is pretty much part of the family as well as our exceptional vineyard extraordinaire. Brett keeps our vineyard looking amazing and our vines in tip top condition: pruning; picking; and hand weeding; plus helps out with any other bits and pieces that need doing – which is usually a lot in our case!

 

AYA AND BELLA

All good wineries have one, but we have two!  Both girls are an integral part of the operation and you will usually find them chasing each other around or more commonly, strategically placed under the table at morning/afternoon tea and lunch!