Nicki Robins
Raised on a mixed farm in New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, Nicki has built a 35-year career at the intersection of wine, sustainability, leadership, and communication.
Barossa unearthed
Nicki Robins
Raised on a mixed farm in New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, Nicki has built a 35-year career at the intersection of wine, sustainability, leadership, and communication.
As Viticultural Development Manager for Barossa Australia, she has helped progress the practices of more than 500 grape growers through science-led viticulture, environmental innovation, and nationally recognised leadership programs.
Nicki has driven award-winning initiatives in climate resilience, soil health, and sustainable wine growing, while mentoring the next generation of Barossa vignerons with the ‘Next Crop’ program and viticulture apprenticeships for Year 10s at Nuri High and Faith College.
With a career spanning winemaking, journalism, education, and grower engagement, she is inspiring change and building capability in Australia’s most iconic wine region.
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY
PETE THORNTON what pete shot
A ‘mostly’ portrait and ‘brief’ interview series by professional photographer Pete Thornton exploring the idea that one image has the power to tell the whole story.
Each ‘sitter’ suggests the next person to be photographed in this series, and thus ensues an interesting and unknown trail of Barossa identities to come.
Stay tuned… Pete
The series so far
Stuart Bourne
Stuart is SA born and bred and, despite travelling widely as a child in an army family, he always found his way back home. After studying Pharmacology at Adelaide University in the 1980s, his direction changed when his parents became grape growers at Clare, igniting a passion for wine through a blend of hospitality and viticulture.
Richard Miles
Newsagency, deli, paper round delivery, seafood seller, purveyor of old-school local quality fruit and vegetables, bread, pies, cards, cigarettes, gifts and at its utmost – a place where you are known!