Sit down with Director, Angela Brown, as we chat family, business, legacy and the future of All Saints Estate.

Q. Tell us a little about growing up at a winery?

A:Eliza, Nick and I grew up in Milawa with our Mum (Jan) and Dad (Peter) on our Brown Brothers property - the winery was literally our backyard. It was an idyllic setting; we were surrounded by vineyards, rode our bikes just a kilometre to school, and grew up alongside a menagerie of animals that included cats, fish, dogs, a rabbit, a wombat, a cockatoo, and two horses.

Working alongside family at the Brown Brothers Cellar Door was a defining part of our childhood. Whether replenishing cheese and olive bowls or collecting, bagging, and selling walnuts on event weekends, we were immersed in the business from an early age, organically developing an ease with people and an appreciation for genuine hospitality. Looking back, it was the ideal training.

Q. Did you always know you wanted to follow in your family’s footsteps and remain in the industry?

A:Mum and Dad always encouraged us to do what we love. I loved the arts, so studied Graphic Design at Monash before going on to work in advertising - at Singleton, Ogilvy & Mather, M&C Saatchi and Foote, Cone & Belding. It was fast-paced and cut-throat, and a fantastic foundation working across major brands as both a Finished Artist and Art Director.

Dad always encouraged us to get outside experience, but he did dream that one day we'd all work in the family business. Following his sudden and unexpected death 20 years ago, that's exactly what happened - and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Q. What is the biggest lesson learned from running a business with siblings?

A:Good communication doesn't just happen naturally - you have to work at it every day. Sometimes it feels forced, sometimes it's awkward or difficult, but we simply can't work together unless we get it right.

Q. How do you navigate splitting your time between your own family and the family business?

A:My husband also runs his own business, so we are officially mad. It's a constant juggle, and we have to stay really organised - otherwise the wheels fall off. And sometimes they do, and we just reset and move on. We have two teenage boys who are busy with school and sport, and we've found it incredibly helpful to have supportive parents and a strong group of friends around us who are all willing to help each other out. It takes a village!

Q. You’ve been breaking into wine markets around the world. When you see your product on a shelf overseas, what thoughts go through your mind?

A:We are incredibly proud. To see wines made in a small historic region in north-east Victoria sitting on a shelf thousands of kilometres away is a surreal and deeply satisfying feeling - it makes all the hard work feel worthwhile.

We've been focused on the USA market in recent years, particularly the southern states, where there are real cultural similarities and a genuine warmth towards Australians. The response to every tasting we've done over the past twelve months has been extraordinary -

they just can't get enough. If we can succeed in even a few states, that's a massive win for us.

Q. What shifts are you noticing in the Australian wine industry? How do you put your wine at the forefront of consumers minds?

A:The headwinds are real - and structural, not cyclical. Since 2021, Australia has lost 1.6 million wine drinkers, and global consumption has reached a 64-year low. Cost-of-living pressures, growing health consciousness, and a generation actively questioning traditional drinking norms have all played a part.

But within that, something interesting is happening. The premium end of the market is growing. Younger consumers who do engage with wine are increasingly curious and values-driven - they want provenance, craft, and authenticity. They want to know where something comes from and why it matters. That's where we feel genuinely optimistic. The story, the place, the history, the people - it's all resonating. We have something that can't be manufactured or replicated, and we think that's exactly what this next generation of wine drinkers is looking for. We've got it in spades.

Q. What do you hope is next for All Saints Estate? How do you see the Rutherglen wine region evolving over the next 10 years?

A:We are endlessly proud of what we've built at All Saints Estate, St Leonards Vineyard and Mount Ophir Estate over the past 20 years - and the recent Forbes Top 50 recognition feels like a meaningful signal that the world is starting to take notice.

Over the next 10 years we hope to see Rutherglen continuing to earn its place on the international wine map. We make wines here that exist nowhere else on earth, and that story deserves a global audience. At the same time, we want more Australians to discover what's in their own backyard. Rutherglen is one of the country's most beautiful and historically rich wine regions, and yet it remains one of its best kept secrets. We'd love to continue to change that.