You may recognise her as the smiling face that greets you when you visit Xanadu, but did you know that last week our brilliant Cellar Door Manager Sam Bradley was awarded the Cellar Door Excellence Award at the Margaret River Wine Show 2024?!
Beyond this accolade, Sam has been selected to participate in Wine Australia’s 2024 Next Crop program, hosted in Margaret River. This program provides a regionally targeted platform to introduce leadership, business and management skills for individuals to build capacity within the community, also acting as a stepping stone to Wine Australia’s Future Leaders, Sam is devoted to her trade, and a passionate wine industry pioneer.
Read on to find out more about Sam, her background, her passion for the wine industry (especially Xanadu), and the excellent work she does at Cellar Door.
Q&A with Sam Bradley
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and your background
A: Born in the UK, I am a dedicated and driven professional with a strong commitment to excellence. I thrive on challenges and approach each task with enthusiasm and determination. My passion for my work is matched by my ability to deliver results efficiently and effectively. I take pride in providing first-class customer service, ensuring that every interaction is positive and impactful. With a proactive mindset and a focus on quality, I am eager to contribute my skills and passion to a dynamic team.
Q: What drew you to make the move from England to Australia, and specifically to Margaret River?
A: 20 years ago this month we had an opportunity to come to Perth for my husband Rick’s 2 year engineering contract and never looked back.
Both working hard on major engineering projects for 16 years we felt a little burnt out, so decided to take a year off and travel, sadly we picked the wrong year because the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we couldn’t go anywhere, fortunately for us we were lucky and managed to get refunds for all our travel bookings, when we were allowed to travel to the South, we came and spent some quality time in Margaret river our favourite place in the world and we had been visiting approx 6 times a year for many years. We decided to have a sea change, a decision which we feel is the best we have ever made.
Q: Were you always interested in wine? Where did your passion for wine begin?
A: My Father was a wine merchant with his father back in the UK, so I grew up around wine, but only truly found my passion for wine since moving to Australia and visiting a vineyard in Swan Valley. Tasting wine in such a romantic setting highlighted to me how location can transform a simple tasting into a memorable experience, whether it’s the charm of the vineyards or the stories behind each bottle.
Q: What drew you to Xanadu?
A: I first visited Xanadu many years ago.
“The driveway through the picturesque setting is magnificent.”
I had always enjoyed Xanadu wines, but I remember on a subsequent visit to the cellar door I tried Graciano for the first time which I loved and everytime we visited the region we would return to purchase more, invariably staying for a leisurely lunch, Xanadu became top of our list to visit.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working at Xanadu and about your role as Cellar Door Manager?
A: As a Cellar Door Manager, I play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between wine production and the consumer experience.
“My position not only involves the direct presentation of wines but also encompasses team leadership and cross-departmental collaboration.”
Fostering a positive work environment and mentoring my team, to help them develop their skills and knowledge, ensuring they provide exceptional service to guests.
Congratulations on being selected for the Next Crop program
Q: Can you tell us about what the program entails?
A: Thank you, I was honoured to be selected. This professional and personal development program, brought to the region by the Margaret River Wine Association and funded by Wine Australia, is delivering a series of regionally tailored sessions for 15 selected emerging leaders who want to understand their leadership capacity and gain exposure to concepts of leadership. The clear objective is to build confidence and provide a development opportunity that will keep the future generation engaged and committed to the region and their career in the grape and wine sector. Our goal is to future proof Margaret River for the next 50 years +.
Q: How do you hope to use the skills you gain in the program to further develop your role at Xanadu and within the wine industry?
A: By participating in this program, I will not only refine my existing skills but also learn new methods to engage, lead, and contribute effectively. This aligns with my personal goal of supporting the Xanadu team in futureproofing our region. Engaging with the broader wine community through programs such as this can help build a resilient network of leaders dedicated to the industry’s success
Congratulations on winning the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association (MRBTA) Wine Tourism Excellence Award
Q: Tell us what this means to you
A: I was humbled to have been nominated and awarded the Cellar Door Excellence award sponsored by Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association. It means so much to me, that my hard work and passion for what I do has been seen and recognised. Although this is a personal award, I couldn’t do what i do without the whole Xanadu Team.
As part of winning I also receive a travel bursary, which I am planning to use to visit Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland wine region.
Q: What’s your favourite Margaret River wine?
A: Very hard to choose, but I would have to say Stevens Road Chardonnay. Modern and refined with a unique personality all of its own!
Q: Outside of wine, what are some hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about?
A: I am a self-confessed foodie and love to dine out in our region, sampling the best of what the region has to offer. Since moving to the country and much to the surprise of my city friends I have made my own vegetable patch and have chickens.
Q: Finally, any advice for people considering a career in the wine industry or for those dreaming of making a big life change?
A: Yes, I would say have a leap of faith and just do it. Find your passion, embrace flexibility and seek fulfillment over financial gain, it is not easy, but very rewarding and I truly believe it is the best decision we ever made.
Be sure to pop into Cellar Door, congratulate Sam, have a chat about our wines, and everything that our beloved Margaret River region has to offer.