Bruce Dukes - Senior Winemaker and Director

Bruce has eighteen years of valuable postgraduate industry experience, shared between iconic producers; Niebaum-Coppola Winery in the Napa Valley of California (Assistant Winemaker), Pierro Margaret River Vineyards in Western Australia (Winemaker and General Manager) and currently as the Senior Winemaker (and Director) for Naturaliste Vintners. Bruce has assisted in the establishment of several “five star” producers in the Margaret River area.

His approach to grape growing and winemaking has been shaped by a wide range of high quality industry experience, in conjunction with a degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Western Australia, and a Masters degree in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California, Davis. His deep technical and applied understanding of viticulture, and how viticultural parameters affect wine quality result in very high quality wines and meaningful feed back to vignerons.

In 2008/09 wines made by Bruce have achieved over 100 medals and trophies. Three wines recently have been awarded Gold medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards, elevating our local wines to the International stage.

Bruce has several publications in fully refereed scientific journals, as well as having authored a chapter in a winemaking text-book. He currently prefers to focus on hands on winemaking and viticultural consulting. The viticultural consulting is biased toward fine-tuning vineyards to ensure that the fruit is farmed to the correct specifications for the intended wine-style.

Amanda Kramer - Winemaker

Amanda started her Winemaking career by completing a Graduate Diploma in Oenology at the University of Adelaide in 1999 after completing a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in microbiology and immunology physiology in 1997. As well as 9 vintages in WA she has participated in vintages in the Napa Valley, Portugal, and Italy. Before coming to Naturaliste Vintners she was Winemaker at Wise and Sandstone Wineries in the Margaret River region. In 2001 she won the MRWIA Careers Opportunity Award and used the award to spend a vintage with Australian Winemaker David Baverstock at Herdade do Esporao winery in Portugal. In 2005 she was awarded the Wine Society’s Australian Young Wine Maker of the Year in recognition for two of her 2003 Chardonnays produced at Wise Winery. The 2003 Reserve Chardonnay was named top wine at the 2005 International Chardonnay Challenge held in Gisborne, New Zealand.

Amanda has a passion for food and wine and enjoying them with friends. Her approach to winemaking is based on her science background combined with her love for food, flavour and textures. Her objective is to make great wine and have a great time doing it. Her focus and attention to detail in getting the best out of every wine she deals with is second to none.

Remi Guise—Assistant Winemaker

Born in Cape Province South Africa, Remi completed a BSc.(Agric.)(Viticulture & Oenology) in 2006 at the University of Stellenbosch.

At the end of his study he took up a position as Assistant Winemaker at the Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville.

Meerendal is a 300 year old estate producing quality wines in one of the cooler climate production areas in South Africa.

Remi joined Naturaliste Vintners as a casual cellar hand in 2008 and was promoted to Red Wine Specialist in 2009. He was appointed Assistant Winemaker in recognition for the outstanding work he completed over the 2009 vintage.

Remi is passionate about new World winemaking and wines; their ability to equal and surpass their Old World counterparts in both quality and integrity and to have an identity which is an expression of the new world and all it has to offer.