Dave Johnson

The spark that set Dave on the path to winemaking began in Perth in 1996. After working a desk job in a bank for five years, Dave began studying horticulture two nights a week; with the view to getting out of the office and into the horticultural industry. A study unit on fruit trees and grapevines led to the revelation that the wine industry was the place for him.  Margaret River was named as the destination and a sea-change of sorts occurred with Dave and his wife Kate moving “down south” in late 1998.

His first job in the wine industry was a year working in the vineyard at Moss Wood. It was here that his interest in wine began to evolve (inevitable, drinking 1996 Moss Wood Cabernet after a long day in the vineyard) and then in 2000, he began working at Juniper Estate. This position required Dave to work partly in the vineyard and partly in the winery, under the watchful eye of Mark Messenger. The winery grew its production over the five years Dave was there; requiring that he eventually focus more on the winery rather than the vineyard. This led to his promotion to Assistant Winemaker and also led to the decision to pursue a Wine Science degree at Charles Sturt University to become a qualified winemaker.

His next role was Production Manager at the contract winemaking facility Naturaliste Vintners, a 1500 tonne winery producing wine for over 30 clients in Margaret River. This position gave Dave the opportunity to experience fruit from all parts of the Margaret River region, in addition to Great Southern and Frankland fruit. Dave credits the owner Bruce Dukes as the influence that taught him the importance of attention to detail in the production of high quality wines. After completing his Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science), Dave was promoted to Winemaker and after nearly five years at Naturaliste Vintners, an exciting opportunity came up that Dave couldn’t resist.

Dave took up the position of Winemaker at Credaro Family Estate in late 2008, with 2009 being the first vintage that he produced. The thrill of producing his own wines in his own style (and having people take pleasure in them) is something he continues to enjoy. The close working relationship between Dave in the winery and Rob, Matt, Mike and Chris in the vineyard is something that is crucial to getting the most out of every batch of Credaro fruit. Dave also credits his experienced cellar team of Dave Bursey and Kym Neal with helping him maintain the high standard of Credaro Family Estate wines from year to year.