Ollie, Fiona and Sam in the Barrel Room
Ollie was born and raised in Port Willunga and McLaren Vale, so was surrounded by wine from an early age. After school, unsure what to do, he decided to pursue a science degree at uni in Melbourne. Luckily, he took some wine appreciation subjects to balance out his studies and with the help of a wonderful teacher, Ken, the fascinating world of wine was revealed, and he was hooked! This spurred on a return to McLaren Vale to do vintage, followed by a further vintage in Barolo. A spin in retail whilst studying WSET Level 3 further fuelled the passion for wine. Experiences in New Zealand and the Hunter Valley then led him back to a full-time role in McLaren Vale to further hone his craft as a Viticulturalist and Winemaker.
“Wine is wonderful. It has the ability to bring people together and create conversation like nothing else. It is sensory, hands-on, creative and driven by science, all at once. I’ll find it engaging and fulfilling ‘til the day that I drop!”
Ollie Bevan
Fiona hails from England and fostered a love of wine through her father who used to give her and her sister a small glass as kids with the Sunday roast. She started her career as a fresh-faced graduate trainee at a well-known wine retailer in the UK, where her passion for wine really began. Later, she worked for a fine wine merchant in Bristol where she met her husband, Sam. They spent many years enjoying wine travel across the globe together. Fiona now has nearly 20 years of industry experience working across the UK, New Zealand and South-East Asia in Sales and Buying positions in the On Premise, Off Premise, Wholesale, Grocery and Private Client channels. Fiona holds her WSET Level 4 Diploma and is a Stage 2 Master of Wine Student.
“Wine to me is more than a job, a hobby, a passion; it is the fabric of great memories with friends and loved ones across the globe. It has allowed me to experience great food, exciting places and fabulous company over the years and Parea Estate is our contribution to that phenomenon.”
Fiona Stephens
South Australian born and bred, Sam grew up a stone’s throw away from the Penfolds Magill Estate in Adelaide, which was an omen for his future career. Whilst studying Wine Marketing at the University of South Australia he worked in wine retail and his knowledge and passion of wine intensified. Working a vintage in McLaren Vale furthered his love of wine and funded his travel to the UK, via an intensive Muay Thai course in Thailand. He spent the next 15 years working for leading wine bars, retailers and wholesalers in the UK and globetrotting to amazing wine regions. In 2017 he was offered an opportunity to work in Singapore and Sam and Fiona jumped at the chance to explore Asia. Sam has spent the last decade working for one of Australia’s leading producers in the diverse markets of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Sam has his WSET Diploma along with several other industry qualifications.
“For me, the true joy of wine is sharing it with others, something I have been fortunate enough to have done for most of my life and hope to do for many years to come.”
Sam Stephens
