As a passionate advocate of Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s fitting that Luke Skeer is complementing his extensive experience in Cabernet winemaking at Coonawarra with his new role of Senior Winemaker at Margaret River’s Devil’s Lair.

Luke Skeer grew up in the Coonawarra wine region of South Australia and as a fourth generation local, it’s not surprising that he developed a desire to craft wine from a young age. After working his first vintage while still at school in 1996, Luke went on to study Oenology at Adelaide University while working in McLaren Vale and also completed vintages in Coonawarra, Bordeaux and the Barossa Valley.

In 2008, Luke became a Winemaker at Wynns where he was responsible for crafting the finest expression of Coonawarra each vintage. While at Wynns, Luke was awarded the Wine Society's Australian and New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year in 2013.

Ben was born in the Hunter Valley, NSW surrounded by vineyards and fine wine. He spent his uni holidays picking grapes in the local vineyards giving him his first exposure to winemaking. Ben studied Biochemistry at Sydney University and realised early in life his passion for applying his scientific skills as a winemaker. “Biochemistry gave me an insight into the unique relationship between vineyard and vine and it seemed like a natural progression to start making wine”.

After Ben graduated in 1996, his first job was with Tyrrells in the Hunter Valley and this sparked an even greater interest in the mysteries of great wine. Soon winemaking became a way of life for Ben and he headed off to Languedoc in the south of France to further his knowledge. Travelling through Bordeaux, Champagne, Alsace, Rhône and Burgundy, Ben’s passion for winemaking was further ignited.