Our Story
woods family
Meet The Family
'Friends and wines improve with age'
The Woods Family took up ownership of Vale Creek Wines in 2021. They have been long time Bathurst residents and jumped at the chance to continue the wonderful legacy of Vale Creek and it’s spectacular Italian Wines. Siblings Daniel, Ainsley and James all come back to help whenever their busy work lives permit. Before Vale Creek, the family owned rural properties in Wagga Wagga and Bathurst.
Our Goal
Gerard Woods
Growing up in Barraba NSW, Gerard has always had a love of the country, agriculture and rural communities. His first job was as a jackeroo before heading down to Sydney to work and play Rugby for a few years. This passion for the bush drew him to Hawkesbury Agricultural College which was followed by seven years at Walgett NSW. After meeting the British Rose, Jacqueline, at the annual Greylands Rugby game he settled for a decade of the FMCG corporate life in Sydney, while still having a farm in Wagga Wagga, before settling in Bathurst.
Apart from tending to the beautiful Vale Creek Vineyard and Winery Gerard enjoys looking after his cattle on the grazing block. More than anything though he loves following what the kids are up to and trying to catch up whenever possible.
Jacqueline Woods
Hailing from the Lake District in the North West of England, Jacqueline was raised in far flung corners of Africa and Indonesia before completing her education in Scotland. A career as a Chartered Accountant blossomed in Bristol and London before the expat itch experienced by her father took hold and a two year secondment to Sydney was arranged. On disembarking the plane on the tarmac in Sydney, the wide open skies cast a spell not yet broken after more than 25 years.
A long standing love of rugby took Jacqueline to Easts Rugby Club one fateful Friday where she met Gerard. And so began her love of country life. Juggling a career and three small kids, with a cattle farmer trapped in a corporate Sydney office, led to the family’s move to Bathurst and a taste of what it means to be a farmer. With the kids now all grown up and firmly ensconced in the region, an opportunity arose in 2021 to take over Vale Creek Wines and open up a whole new farming world. And so the adventure began…….
Consultant Winemaker - Nadja Wallington
Nadja completed her bachelor of Winemaking and Viticulture through Charles Sturt University in 2010 then spent three years overseas working as a winemaker in California, South Africa and Bordeaux. In 2014 Nadja moved to Orange and worked at Philip Shaw Wines as a part of the winemaking team, before purchasing her own place in 2020 and going on to work in her own wine business “ChaLou Wines” with her husband in 2021. Throughout this time, she has also been involved in an advisory role to her family wine business in Canowindra NSW, “Wallington Wines”. In 2019 Nadja was selected by Wine Australia to be a part of the future leaders program and in 2022 Nadja was a part of the Len Evans Tutorial.
Nadja’s experience is in small wine business, winemaking and wine judging. She is passionate about environmental sustainability, social sustainability and wine excellence.
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science (viticulture and Oenology), Future Leaders graduate (2019), AWAC graduate (2019), LET Scholar (2022)
Appointments: ASVO Treasurer (2021-current), Orange Regional Vignerons Association Vice president (2022), Chair of Orange Wine Show Committee (2019-current)
Awards: Nadja was awarded The Wine Magazines Young Winemaker of the Year 2022. Vale Creek Wines congratulate Nadja on a well deserved honour.
