Fran Austin

Coming Up

Formal study at Adelaide University set the frame for Fran Austin’s winemaking practice: technical, measured, and built to carry into the cellar. In 2002, that training moved into production work when she took on a winemaking role at one of Australia’s major wine corporations in Tasmania, after moving from Western Australia. The discipline of the work is part science, part physical repetition. Austin described the appeal plainly: “I thought it sounded like a great opportunity to combine science with creativity in a physical, ‘out-doorsy’, applied way.” That mix of laboratory method and vineyard labour is what her early Tasmanian post put into practice. Since 2010, the same range has defined Delamere Vineyards, where Austin has been owner, grower, and winemaker. The role combines estate oversight with day-to-day production, tying viticulture and cellar work into a single job rather than splitting them apart.

Where They Are Now

At Delamere Vineyards, she is owner, grower, and winemaker. The role gathers together the full arc of her experience, from formal training to cellar work to the long, practical vigilance of running an estate.

Signature

Fran's signature wines include Delamere Vineyards NV Cuvée, Tasmania.

In Their Words “I thought it sounded like a great opportunity to combine science with creativity in a physical, ‘out-doorsy’, applied way.”