Ratcliff won the Horticultural Grower of the Year at last week’s ABC Rural and Kondinin Group Australian Farmer of the Year Awards, and the JMA Engineering Wine Industry Award at the Riverland Wine Show – an accolade that typically is awarded to winemakers but was altered this year to recognise Ratcliff’s dedication to region.
An employee of the Hill-Smith family for the past 11 years, Ratcliff currently oversees all winery and vineyard operations for the Oxford Landing Estates winery in Moppa and vineyard near Waikerie.
Chairman of the Riverland Alternative Wine Group, Ratcliff and wife Holly also have a 40ha vineyard in Barmera where they have a particular focus on irrigation management and emerging grape varieties.
Ratcliff said: “The Riverland wine industry award means so much to me as it was judged by my industry peers. To win these awards is a great honour and something I will treasure for many years. But at the end of the day this recognition would not be possible without a team effort and amazing support from the team at Oxford Landing, Hill-Smith Family Vineyards, my wife and children.”
Hill-Smith Family Vineyards chief viticulturist Robin Nettelbeck said: “Ashley has a huge passion for all things Riverland and does not spend one second of his day not thinking about how he can make the Riverland a place that is recognised on the world stage as a producer of consistent quality value wines, worthy of its uniqueness and most definitely a place to be.”
