Winemaker
Clare Dry
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Grampians, Australia
i. Biography
The appointment sits on a base of Australian wine practice: University of Adelaide oenology training, more than a decade as a Vintage Winemaker, and a portfolio built around Premium Chardonnay, Shiraz, and traditional-method sparkling wine. The path is defined by repetition and control as much as range — cellar work, harvest timing, and the accumulation of technical confidence vintage after vintage.
The Path
University of Adelaide provided the formal grounding before Clare Dry moved into a long tenure as Vintage Winemaker at Wolf Blass (2007–2020). Across those years, the work was seasonal and exacting, shaped by fruit condition, weather shifts, and timing decisions made under harvest pressure. Since 2020, Clare has been Lead Winemaker of Seppelt, carrying that experience into a role anchored in one of the region’s established names.
The Work Today
“Fruit was picked at optimum conditions, delivering parcels that were incredibly flavoursome, balanced and pure.” That line points to the style of the work: clean decision-making in the vineyard-to-winery handoff, and respect for fruit when it arrives at full expression. In 2022, the 2020 St Peters Grampians Shiraz led the Seppelt Luxury Collection and was sourced from the finest and most intense fruit from the Great Western Vineyard. The same year, Salinger Vintage Cuvée was made in the traditional method and spent four years on lees, a production detail that places patience at the center of the wine.
Signature
Clare's signature wines include 2012 Show Sparkling, 2020 St Peters Grampians Shiraz, Drumborg Vineyard Henty Chardonnay, Drumborg Vineyard Henty Riesling, and Salinger Vintage Cuvée. Read together, they show a winemaker working across distinct structures and tempos: the lift and line of Chardonnay and Riesling, the shape of Shiraz, and the slower build of sparkling wine.
In Their Words “I’m delighted to be joining the Seppelt team. As a label with a long and celebrated history, I’m looking forward to continuing this legacy and showcasing the diversity of our vineyards and regions with each vintage release.” “As pioneers within the Australian wine industry, particularly with styles such as Sparkling Shiraz, it’s a privilege to help shape the Seppelt story going forward and join a winemaking fraternity I greatly admire.”
Acclaim
The current weight of Dry’s title is tied to the wines now attached to her tenure: Drumborg Vineyard Henty Chardonnay, 2020 St Peters Grampians Shiraz, Salinger Vintage Cuvée, Pierlot by Seppelt, and the 2012 Show Sparkling Shiraz release. It reads as a record of confidence in placement and style, with those bottlings carrying her work inside Seppelt’s contemporary output while staying aligned with the label’s established identity.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Clare
Where did Clare Dry train or study?
Clare Dry trained at University of Adelaide.
What is Clare Dry known for?
Premium Chardonnay.
