i. Biography
Coming Up
Formal study at Charles Sturt University gave Ray Nadeson the technical grounding and discipline that have shaped the work since. The emphasis from the start has been on exactness and purpose, with the kind of practical seriousness that sits behind long-term cellar work. As Nadeson puts it: "It's my blood, my sweat, and not what I paid someone else to shed for me." The line is plain enough: the craft is not external to the life; it is part of it. Since 1996, founder and Head Winemaker Ray Nadeson has led Lethbridge Wines in Geelong, Australia, building the label methodically over time. That kind of continuity asks for restraint as much as ambition: a steady hand, a clear style, and the patience to keep working toward it season after season. At Lethbridge Wines, that focus has stayed fixed on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the varieties around which the work has consistently turned. Today, Ray Nadeson continues in that same role with the same measured focus that has marked the business since 1996. The continuity matters: it reads as sustained practice rather than a changeable position, with the work remaining central from one season to the next.
Where They Are Now
The founder role has run from 1996 to present, while the working title in the cellar is Head Winemaker. In practical terms, that places Ray Nadeson both in the defining role behind Lethbridge Wines and in the hands-on decisions that shape the wine barrel by barrel and season by season.
Signature
Ray Nadeson's signature wines include Dr Nadeson Riesling, Allegra Chardonnay, Between Five Bells, il Modo, and Nadeson Collis. Taken together, they show a maker working across different expressions while keeping the same underlying discipline and clarity that define the name.
Honors
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sit at the centre of Ray Nadeson's work. Those two grapes form the core of the practice at Lethbridge Wines and the thread that runs through the career built there.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ray
What is Ray Nadeson's current role?
As of 2026, Ray Nadeson is Head Winemaker.
Where did Ray Nadeson train or study?
Ray Nadeson trained at Charles Sturt University.
What is Ray Nadeson known for?
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
