Five Generations at Tahbilk Winery

Hayley Pulbrick, Tahbilk’s 5th Generation

When Hayley was five, she publicly reminded her grandfather “girls can be winemakers too!” Although not a winemaker, Hayley brings an eclectic set of fresh skills to the Tahbilk management team. With degrees in Agricultural Management, Commerce and Marketing, she worked with Ernst & Young before returning to the family business in 2009. With an accountant’s eye and an eco-warrior stance she has actively researched, promoted and developed the Carbon Neutral strategy now fundamental to every area of the winery, from vineyard to bottling line and the Wine Club.

Did you always think you would end up in the family business?
No, it wasn’t something I thought much about until I reached my mid 20s’. The turning point was when I opted in to completing a vintage at Tahbilk to fill in a life gap. Since then I haven’t looked back.

What do you think you bring to the Tahbilk brand?
I bring a next generation view on the future of the business. I have a passion for environment sustainability and upholding the organisations social responsibility to the community. Businesses need to be thinking about the role they play in  maintaining a healthy environment to both work and play, our future generations are relying on us.

How do you keep a fifth-generation brand relevant to modern consumers?
For me life is all about storytelling. As people we are 80% more likely to remember any information if told through a compelling story. Tahbilk has a diverse, lively and deep history in Australian wine culture. So many amazing stories to tell which pique the curiosity in the modern customer. We plan on continuing to tell the story to engage our customers in our passion.

Are you encountering more women in the industry?
There are certainly quite a few women about in the industry, more than when I entered 8 years ago. I would love to see more women in positions of influence across the industry and also in the vineyards. Certainly the number of women taking on wine making has increased, our own Jo Nash is a great testament to women in wine.

What is it that most excites you about the wine industry?
The opportunities for the industry are huge. I really think the next phase for wine business in Australia is to re-think and shake up the concept of the wine club. In my spot in the world I am also excited to see so many Australian wine businesses embrace environmental sustainability practices across the whole organisation, with a few small tweaks I really feel the Australian wine industry could be world leaders in this space.

For more on Tahbilk’s story, visit their site tahbilk.com.au