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In this episode of **The Wined Up Podcast**, Trent sits down with Liam Van Pelt, the winemaker now carrying on the legacy Stephen George built over more than 40 years in the Piccadilly Valley. Liam’s own path to Ashton Hills was anything but planned. A Glenelg kid with no wine background, he worked his way through hospitality, wine school, a vintage in Italy, Jeff Grosset’s cellar in the Clare Valley, Chapel Hill in McLaren Vale, and a wild stint with Andrew Thomas in the Hunter Valley, before a casual vintage role and a bit of serendipity landed him alongside Stephen. What followed was a letter from Stephen to the CEO of Wirra Wirra that Liam still describes as one of the most emotional moments of his career, handing him a role, and a legacy, that didn’t exist yet.
The conversation moves through the story of how Ashton Hills got its name, why Stephen trialled 27 different clones of Pinot Noir on one tiny patch of dirt over four decades, and what it’s like to inherit that kind of obsession. Liam and Trent taste through the range together, from the 2025 Piccadilly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir through to the two single vineyard wines, Woods Hill and Bow House, sourced two kilometres apart and showing almost nothing in common, right up to the flagship 2025 Estate Pinot Noir grown on Stephen’s original site.
Along the way, Liam talks candidly about the pressure of protecting someone else’s life’s work, the balance between honouring Stephen’s philosophy and finding his own voice, the backing that’s let Ashton Hills invest in better fruit and new vineyards for the future, and where he sees the winery heading over the next decade.
It’s a conversation about legacy, trust, patience, and what it really takes to keep a 40 year old vision alive without losing it.
If you love Pinot Noir, cool climate wine, or stories about people stepping into someone else’s shoes, this one’s worth your time.
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## YouTube Chapters
00:00 Intro
0:55 The Wined Up Ice Breaker Questions
5:15 Wine of the Day: The 2025 Chardonnay
6:26 From a Glenelg Kid to Chasing Vintage
8:32 The Letter That Changed Everything
14:35 Carrying Steven’s Piccadilly Pinot Forward
20:11 A Brussels Sprout Farm Called Ashton Hills
27:33 Woods Hill vs Bow House
31:50 What Makes the Piccadilly Valley Different
44:00 The Flagship: 2025 Estate Pinot Noir
47:18 Gamay, Lighter Styles and a New Generation
51:13 Rapid Fire: This or That
52:08 What’s Next for Ashton Hills
54:16 Closing ThoughtsShow More
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Support Local: Discover Local Boutique Wineries
Explore our directory to support local wineries and discover the best wines your community has to offer. Join us in celebrating the craftsmanship of local vineyards.
Sorrenberg
- www.sorrenberg.com
- Beechworth VIC, Australia
Small Island Wines
- www.smallislandwines.com
- Tasmania, Australia
Ashton Hills Vineyard
- https://www.ashtonhills.com.au/
- 126 Tregarthen Road, Ashton SA, Australia
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About Us
The Wined Up is an independent Australian wine, food, travel and hospitality media platform.
Through podcast interviews, editorial features and digital content, we share the stories behind the people, places and experiences that shape our industry.
We champion Australian wine regions, independent producers and hospitality businesses, helping brands connect with an engaged audience through authentic storytelling.
Hosted by Trent, The Wined Up celebrates the stories behind wine, food, travel and hospitality.
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