Cover Ray Nadeson and Maree Collis of Lethbridge Wines (Photo: Lethbridge Wines)
Ray Nadeson and Maree Collis of Lethbridge Wines (Photo: Lethbridge Wines)
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We speak to Ray Nadeson, a Malaysian-born neuroscientist, and his wife, Maree Collis, as they leave their academic careers to become winemakers with the inception of Lethbridge Wines
“There are so many components involved when it comes to wine—the technical way it is made, the richness in culture and history, the food-pairing and gastronomical aspect—plus it has alcohol which makes you feel good too!” chuckles Ray Nadeson, who runs and owns Lethbridge Wines alongside his wife, Maree Collis. Both Nadeson and Collis come from academic backgrounds—neuroscience and chemistry, respectively, but have spent the last 30 years operating their vineyard in the Moorabool Valley, Geelong, a city southwest of Melbourne, Australia.
While originally from Malaysia, Nadeson spent his formative years in the UK and Australia, pursuing a doctorate in Neuroscience at Monash University, Melbourne. His interest in wine was piqued after graduating when he would often spend Wednesday evenings drinking with friends at a local wine shop. “Wine was not as expensive a hobby as it is now, and food and drink has always been so ingrained into Melbourne’s culture,” he says.
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Nadeson and his wife would often toy with the idea of setting up a vineyard. Passionate about the craft, the couple studied the world’s great wines, finding commonalities: “Stony soils, marginal climates, and growing vines in the most natural of ways.” They finally came across the land that is now Lethbridge Wines, previously used as a vineyard since 1874 and replanted the vines in 1966.
“I built all the buildings, and we planted the vineyard ourselves,” he beams. For eight years, the duo kept their research jobs, even while running the vineyard, but after their third child was born, the family decided to move to the vineyard and have lived there for the past 20 years.
When asked if there are any comparisons between medicine and winemaking, Nadeson is quick to answer. “As an observational scientist, we learn based on what we see and use intuition,” he says. “At Lethbridge, we don’t have recipes but act based on experience and observation.”
Lethbridge Wines produces four labels—Lethbridge, Between Five Bells, Modo, and Nadeson Collis. Currently planted are Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Viognier, Merlot, Sangiovese Brunello, Gamay, and Chardonnay. The only locations in Malaysia to try Lethbridge Wines' Between Five Bells are Studio Restaurant and its sister establishments Alta Cafe and Alta Pizza.
On Lethbridge Wines’ 25th anniversary, they invited previous winemakers and staff back for a party, opening wines from different years of the vineyard’s repertoire. “It was almost like a family gathering to have everyone from each phase meet, and I felt we had done something great,” Nadeson smiles.
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“Lethbridge is not a place but an idea, and I hope the integrity of the ideas that we have built here can be continued through us and the people we have met and worked with along the way,” says Nadeson.
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Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
