Fran Austin made the decision in 2011 to join her husband Shane Holloway in their Delamere Vineyard business.

Fran moved to Tasmania from her home state of Western Australia in 2001 as Site Winemaker/Manager at the Bay of Fires Winery. Her passion for Champagne style wines and cool climate winemaking stretches back to her days studying winemaking at Adelaide University. With many year of winemaking experience across numerous cool climate regions, including Burgundy, Oregon, Yarra Valley and the Adelaide Hills, Fran chose to settle in Tasmania due to the unparalleled fruit quality and opportunity within this special region.

Fran's wines have been turning heads and winning trophies in local and national wine shows for years, and in fact her Chardonnay and Pinot are recognized as 'benchmarks' of Tasmanian wine. Respected by her peers Fran was awarded the Gourmet Traveller Young Winemaker of the year in 2005 and was selected as a scholar of the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2009. Her expertise dovetails in perfectly to compliment the brilliant start her husband Shane has made with Delamere since acquiring the property.

Who would have thought a Kalgoorlie gal would end up so focused on the making of such pristine cold climate wines, but clearly there is no place she would rather be.

FRAN AUSTIN
Co-Winemaker/ Owner