On a beautiful Barossa morning amidst the immaculate gardens of Barossa Valley Estate, Amber Perry beams with the delight of a woman with the world at her feet. 

When Amber completed high school in 2020, she was unable to travel the world as she intended. Instead, she began working as a cellar hand at Barossa Valley Estate.

“I wasn’t even old enough to drink,” Amber smiles. “I turned 18 during vintage and took my P-plates off as I was driving home, which was really cool.”

Amber’s outstanding passion for the wine industry was promptly recognised by the Barossa Valley Estate team and after spending the entire year as a cellar hand, she was offered the chance to move into a lab position the following vintage.

“I fell in love with it and my passion has grown ever since,” Amber shares. 

After moving back into the cellar door, Amber returned as a Vintage Lab Tech for vintage number three, before spending her fourth vintage shadowing the winemaker. 

“This was an incredible experience,” Amber beams. “Something that not everyone would get to do with no family connection.”

Amber admires the family connections within the wine industry throughout the Barossa.

“To be able to make my own way is quite an achievement,” Amber recognises. “It’s like family here at Barossa Valley Estate, they’re great.

“I’m very lucky with the work and opportunities. Not many teenagers get the opportunity to work in a lab, and I didn’t study science in school either, so the fact that they took a chance on me to do that is really exciting.”

Understanding the advantages of making connections, Amber was thrilled by the chance to join the Barossa Young Ambassador program in 2024.

“I saw it pop up and wanted to get into being a professional person with skills,” Amber shares. “I think it’s really cool that we have something like this, because I didn’t know where to start. 

“My Dad always says, ‘All they can say is no, so why not give everything a go?’ something I definitely live by. So, I figured, ‘why not take the opportunity that’s been built up over such a long time and make the most of everything?’”

Amber began the nine-month program with monthly meetings and workshops, before being assigned a mentor and given the task of working on a personal project.

Amber’s project was the proposal for a community centre.

“Ultimately a place where the kids, parents and grandparents can get involved in,” Amber explains.

She started by having conversations with people, from Victoria community centres to Lutheran Care and The Barossa Council. 

“It’s been so interesting getting involved in other parts of the community outside my industry in the Barossa,” Amber shares. “I’ve even made connections within the The Barossa Council and feel like I understand more about the Council and community needs.”

Amber has since spoken to numerous people who have expressed interest in doing something that was close to the project she had worked on, which has in fact led to the possibility of a multi-generational community centre being established in the Barossa.

At the end of the Young Ambassador Program, Amber was crowned The Young Ambassador of 2025 and received the main prize of a trip to GrapeFest in Grapevine Texas. She also extended her trip to visit the Napa Valley wine region.

“I feel very grateful for that, and glad I had the skills built up over my time in the Young Ambassador Program to do that,” Amber shares. “It was great to experience different regions, taste their wine, and to be able to start travelling at such a young age, already bringing those things back.”

Amber also now enjoys sharing these stories as a cellar door host. 

Along with becoming a representative for our region, Amber is now Deputy Chair for The Barossa Young Ambassador Program.

“It’s really nice coming out of the program and seeing what I did and being able to put those things back in,” Amber says. “You can always feel like you’re too young, so it’s nice to have a voice, and people actually want to hear my ideas.”

Amber intends to make the most from the experiences the program has provided her and to say yes to every opportunity.

“I only get this for two years, so to be able to do as much as I can is what I’m aiming to do,” she says.

After completing university, Amber would like to spend time travelling to experience vintage hopping throughout the different wine regions of the world, before returning to make great wine in the Barossa.

“I think a lot of people go away and get new skills from different regions and bring those back to then make the Barossa as great as it can be,” Amber shares. “There’s so many different techniques and there’s always the new world, old world wines, so it’s great to get diversity in it all. 

“I would love to come back and craft great Barossa wines one day. I want to give back to Barossa because it’s given me so much.”