Who We Are

Hunter became a full-time member of the Frankland Estate team in 1999 after gaining his Bachelor of Business (Agricultural Management) degree from Marcus Oldham College in Victoria. Working in lockstep with brother-in-law Brian Kent, he applies his breadth of knowledge to every aspect of winery operations.

Elizabeth attended the University of Western Australia and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Agriculture Science in 1998, before furthering her studies in Viticulture at Charles Sturt University. Elizabeth gained further experience by working vintages in the wine regions of California, Spain and New Zealand.

Brian grew up in Perth and has a background in Biology, along with a postgraduate degree in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand. In his early years he worked vintages in California’s Russian River, and Rías Baixas in northwest Spain. He worked as a winemaker in Frankland River for several years before joining the family business at Frankland Estate in 2010.

Judi Cullam co-founded Frankland Estate with late husband Barrie Smith in 1988, in a move to diversify their long-established wool-growing interests in the Frankland River region. Judi has been integral to the success and growth of Frankland Estate within Australia and into major export markets. A tireless contributor to the Australian wine scene, she was awarded the Len Evans Award for Leadership by Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine in 2018. Barrie, meanwhile, was raised in a wine-producing region and was renowned for his deep respect for the land. Over more than 30 vintages at Frankland Estate, he was instrumental in pushing the potential of the Isolation Ridge vineyard.

Although Gladys isn’t exactly human, she still remains a vital member of our management team and family. As queen of our flock of guinea fowl, Gladys leads her loyal subjects out into the vineyard every day to eat bugs and pests that otherwise might damage our vines. She is sensitive, caring and - like all of us at Frankland Estate - strongly committed to organic viticulture.