Melanie Chester

Giant Steps - Yarra Valley, Australia

Melanie Chester joined Giant Steps as Head of Winemaking and Viticulture on November 24th, 2021. She comes to Giant Steps from Sutton Grange Winery in Central Victoria, where she was Head Winemaker. Melanie completed her studies in Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide, where she was the recipient of the Wolf Blass Prize for Excellence in Winemaking (2011) and the David Bradley Memorial Prize (2012), indicating the promise of an outstanding contribution to the wine industry. Her wine industry experience spans diverse estates such as d’Arenberg in the McLaren Vale, Charles Melton in the Barossa, and Quinta do Crasto in Portugal’s Douro Valley. Prior to her appointment at Sutton Grange, Melanie was Winemaker at Seppelt Wines in Great Western where she became a sought-after wine show judge, including for the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards. In 2014, Melanie became the youngest ever scholar selected for The Len Evans Tutorial. In 2015, she was named Young Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine, and in 2018, Melanie was recognized by Young Gun of Wine as the People’s Choice award winner for favourite winemaker.