Virginia Willcock

As a teenager, Virginia Willcock witnessed the happiness and joy wine brought to her parents and their friends after a hard day’s work in their small vineyard. It was here she decided winemaking was going to be her career. “I loved the idea of growing fruit and then turning it into something that could be more beautiful and would make people happy.”

Virginia is now the Chief Winemaker behind some of Australia’s most critically acclaimed wines at Margaret River’s founding wine estate, Vasse Felix, where she has been since October 2006. Her insatiable curiosity for the role microbiology plays in grapes and vineyards has driven revolutionary developments in winemaking at Vasse Felix. Her work, particularly with wild-yeast fermentation in Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, has inspired many other producers across Australia.

Virginia is one of Australia’s most awarded female winemakers. She was named ‘Gourmet Traveller WINE Australian Winemaker of the Year’ in 2012, ‘Winemaker of the Year’ by The West Australian Good Wine Guide in 2013, and ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in the 2017 Australian Women in Wine Awards. She was also nominated for ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in Wine Enthusiast Magazine USA’s 2014 Wine Star Awards and in the ASVO Award for Excellence in 2016.

A respected authority on Margaret River winemaking, Virginia has represented the region as a presenter and panellist at numerous international media, trade conventions, and masterclasses. She is also a sought-after regional wine show judge and has served on the board of the Margaret River Wine Industry Association for several years.