ABOUT US

Jeffrey Rohde

Jeffrey has worn many hats in the wine industry. He wandered into Rathdowne Cellars in Carlton North while studying Psychology at Uni in 1995 and got involved in tastings for the first time - it proved to be the beginning of a journey. He promptly enrolled in Wine Marketing too, studying both degrees from different universities simultaneously. That journey has since taken him through restaurants, cellar doors, wholesale distribution (both on and off-premise) and global wine sales and marketing for some of the best known family-owned wine businesses and large public companies. His most recent challenge was the development & implementation of a revolutionary program that brings together both purchasing expertise & the power of volume to food service businesses of varying sizes, and provides a better way for suppliers to engage with (and be paid by) customers.

As a teacher and communicator, his resume includes teaching & facilitation for Latrobe and Swinburne Universities, the William Angliss Institute and Foster's Australia.

Jeffrey is a strong believer in the important role of industry associations in providing representation for diverse interests, both small and large. He spent 10 years on the committee of the Australian Sommeliers Association, 5 of those as Secretary, and became one of the first Certified Sommeliers in Australia while working for the Restaurant and Catering Association, the food service industry's peak employer body.

His heart is in the wine industry, and in addition to Full Palate, he and family are currently establishing a vineyard in central Victoria, and developing the wine education program at Rathdowne Cellars, which covers a broad range of topics from cork taint to Grand Cru Burgundy.

Michael Schultz

Michael has an extensive background in the wine industry. His family established 'Schultz of Syndal' - at the time one of Melbourne's most highly regarded fine wine retailers. From there he further honed his skills and knowledge working in some of Melbourne's leading wine merchants including Bedelis Liquor Emporium, Crittenden's Wine Merchants and Phillip Murphy Wine and Spirits.

As a graduate of Wine Marketing from the University of Adelaide (Roseworthy), Michael shifted from retailing into distribution, moving into a Key Account Management role where he contributed his outstanding grasp of independent and fine wine retailing to the benefit of a large-scale family-owned wine business. From there he moved into management roles with large scale boutique wineries, where he oversaw the entire sales and marketing operations.

Michael's family background informs his particular area of interest - small business and the importance of organisations of this size to the diversity and quality evident in Australian wines. His aim is to help grow small to medium size Australian wineries, by achieving great sales and marketing results.