Deconstructing to the Atoms
Ray Nadeson was a neuroscientist. Maree Collis was a chemist. Both held PhDs. Both were academics in Melbourne — Ray researching and teaching neuroscience, Maree in biochemistry. Both loved Burgundy. On days off, Ray would daydream about making wine with a friend. The brainstorm took hold. They spent three years — 1993 to 1996 — poring over maps, analysing soils, rocks and weather patterns, treating the search for a vineyard like a scientific project. "We did what we would have done on any scientific project: to deconstruct the whole thing down to the atoms and then put it back together again." In 1996, they found their site: a patch of dirt in the Moorabool Valley, 30km northwest of Geelong, originally planted by Swiss immigrants in 1874 before phylloxera wiped it out. They replanted in 1996. By 2003, they had left their day jobs. Today, Lethbridge Wines is one of Australia's most intellectually rigorous and creatively ambitious wineries — a strawbale winery, biodynamic farming, custom-built French oak, and wines that lead with structure, texture, savouriness and definitive freshness. This is what happens when scientists fall in love with wine.
Scientists, Maps & A Three-Year Search
Ray Nadeson was born in Malaysia and moved to Australia as a child. He developed a love for wine — especially Burgundy — while working as a neuroscientist and academic in Melbourne. Maree Collis, his partner, was a chemist with a PhD in biochemistry. They were both research scientists, both deeply analytical, both obsessed with understanding how things work at the most fundamental level. When the idea of making wine took hold, they approached it with the same rigour they applied to their scientific work.
The search began in 1993. They wanted proximity to Melbourne because of their day jobs, soils that would support but challenge the vines, and a cooler location. At the time, Geelong was primarily ranch land. The area had been a historically important wine region — vines planted by Swiss immigrants in the 1870s — but phylloxera arrived in the late 1800s and laws were enacted to pull all the vineyards out. To find a suitable site, Nadeson and Collis applied their research skills to land maps. They identified areas within driving distance of Melbourne, overlaid soil studies and ownership parcels, and spent two years looking before zoning in on two potential properties near the town of Lethbridge. The sites weren't for sale, so they knocked on the owners' doors.
They replanted the vineyard in 1996 while juggling their professional schedules and young family. The first vines went into the ground with help from friends and colleagues — "a block planted by PhDs," Ray quips. They studied winemaking at Charles Sturt University, achieving Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science) degrees despite already holding PhDs. By 2003, they had left their academic careers behind and were working full-time amongst the vines. The winery they built is unique — a strawbale structure designed to recreate the controlled environment of European cellars and caves, marrying their commitment to biodynamic farming, environmental sustainability, and the production of fine wine.
"We thought about it as a problem that needed to be explored. We did what we would have done on any scientific project: to deconstruct the whole thing down to the atoms and then put it back together again."
— Ray Nadeson
Three Sites, One Cool Climate & Volcanic Soils
Lethbridge Wines farms three distinct vineyard sites across the Geelong region, each selected for its ability to slowly ripen low yields while maintaining high natural acidity. The home vineyard — Lethbridge Estate — is the Moorabool Valley's coolest site at 270 metres elevation, 30km northwest of Geelong. The thin black-clay topsoils lie over two tongues of ancient lava flows — bluestone and honeycomb basalt — formed by volcanic activity 30,000 to 50,000 years ago. These volcanic layers lie over a limestone base, resulting in low yields that ripen slowly and thoroughly while retaining freshness despite the dry climate.
The Hat Rock Vineyard on the Bellarine Peninsula was planted in 1996 by Steve and Vicky Funnel. Named after a hat-shaped rocky outcrop on the shore of Corio Bay, it sits on a gently undulating north-facing slope with volcanic clay/loam over limestone soils. The cooling effects of the bayside location moderate temperatures in warmer months. The historic Rebenberg Vineyard on Mt Duneed — first planted in 1858, replanted by Ken and Joy Campbell in 1968 — is where Geelong's wine renaissance began. Most of the original vineyard has been pulled out for housing, but Lethbridge still sources Chardonnay from the remaining vines.
Ray and Maree wanted to farm organically from day one. The vineyard is managed using sustainable principles informed by organic and biodynamic practices. The Lethbridge Estate has five distinctive Pinot Noir blocks and two each of Chardonnay and Shiraz, plus plantings of Viognier, Gamay, Sangiovese Brunello, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. All are segmented by blocks and clones, allowing for precise, site-specific winemaking. The farming philosophy mirrors that of the great grower wines of Europe: low yields, slow ripening, and fruit that expresses the unique character of special places.
The flagship vineyard. Coolest site in the Moorabool Valley at 270m. Originally planted 1874 by Swiss immigrants, replanted 1996. Thin black-clay topsoils over bluestone and honeycomb basalt above limestone. Seven hectares planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Viognier, Gamay, Sangiovese Brunello, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Five distinctive Pinot Noir blocks, two each of Chardonnay and Shiraz.
Planted 1996 by Steve and Vicky Funnel. Named after a hat-shaped rocky outcrop on Corio Bay. North-facing slope, volcanic clay/loam over limestone. Cooling bayside location moderates summer temperatures. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Source for Hat Rock Single Vineyard Pinot Noir and components of the Lethbridge Estate blends.
Historic vineyard, first planted 1858. Replanted 1968 by Ken and Joy Campbell — the re-emergence of Geelong as a winegrowing region. Originally planted to Semillon, Cabernet, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Most pulled out for housing; remaining Chardonnay vines still source the Allegra Chardonnay. A living piece of Geelong wine history.
An innovative strawbale building designed to recreate the controlled environment of European cellars and caves. Marries biodynamic farming, environmental sustainability, and fine wine production. Hand picking, indigenous-yeast fermentation, small open fermenters, pigeage (foot stomping), and minimal handling throughout maturation. A winery built by scientists who understood that great wine needs great conditions.
Frame Nature, Remove Little, Add Less
Ray Nadeson's winemaking philosophy is deceptively simple: "We frame nature by removing little and adding less." Hand picking, indigenous-yeast fermentation, small open fermenters, pigeage (foot stomping), and minimal handling throughout maturation are all part of the Lethbridge approach. But the simplicity belies a deep intellectual rigour. Ray works closely with a single French cooper, and all Lethbridge barrels are custom-built to his specifications: light toast and tight grain to facilitate micro-oxygenation and help polymerise the tannins. His wines never taste oaky — a remarkable feat given the proportion of new wood used.
The wines are not, in the main, primary, fruit-forward wines. Instead, they lead with structure, texture, savouriness and definitive freshness. The Chardonnays are deep, chiselled wines flecked with mineral and floral nuance. The Pinots are prized for succulent freshness allied to classy, age-supporting structures. The Shiraz wines highlight the variety's medium-bodied side, with sinewy, savoury deliciousness married with poppyseed spice. Ray is an avid proponent of residual sugar in Riesling — "It's essential for the texture of the wine" — and leaves a lick of sugar in all his Rieslings, balanced by racy acidity.
Ray's approach to oak is particularly distinctive. Perhaps because of his scientific background, he is something of a specialist when it comes to wood. He specifies light toast and tight grain for all barrels, working with a single cooper to ensure consistency. The result is wines that integrate oak seamlessly — providing structure and micro-oxygenation without masking the fruit. Reserve wines age in bottle for three years before release. The Mietta Pinot Noir sees 80% whole bunch and 100% new oak. The Indra Shiraz matures in new wood for 15 months, then rests in bottle for three years. This is not minimal-intervention winemaking in the lo-fi sense; it is precision winemaking guided by deep understanding of chemistry, biology, and terroir.
The Between Five Bells Project — Discordant Jazz
Named after the last three words in the first stanza of Kenneth Slessor's famous poem "Five Bells" — a lyrical meditation on death and memory set on Sydney Harbour — the Between Five Bells range is Ray's "discordant jazz." It allows him a sense of freedom with his winemaking, exploring texture, fermentation vessels, and blending without the constraints of single-vineyard terroir. The wines are multi-regional, multi-varietal blends with one goal: to be delicious and slurpable. The drinker is freed from worrying about grape varieties or regions. Red, White, Amber, Pinot, and Pét-Nat — each is an experiment in texture and pleasure. The B5B Red is a riot of crushed fruit aromas with an underlying savoury edge: Nero d'Avola, Sagrantino, Lambrusco, Saperavi, and Shiraz. The B5B White blends Vermentino, Riesling, and Fiano. This is Ray the scientist letting his hair down — and the results are extraordinary.
Science & Art in Equal Measure
Ray Nadeson and Maree Collis are not your average winemakers. They are scientists who became artists, academics who became farmers, and rigourous researchers who learned to trust intuition. Ray's creativity and exceptional palate drive the winemaking; Maree's organisational brilliance keeps the business running. Their current roles are more defined now — Ray as Head Winemaker, Maree as General Manager — but both have worked hands-on across every aspect of the business: viticulture, winemaking, sales, marketing, export. They are joined in the cellar by Vassily Pestretsov, a Crimea-born winemaker who arrived at Lethbridge in 2019 after being "absolutely enchanted" by Ray and his wines.
The reserve wines are named after their four children: Indra (Shiraz), Allegra (Chardonnay), Mietta (Pinot Noir), and Hugo George (Sangiovese Merlot). The Mietta Pinot Noir — from the original "Top Block" planted in 1996 — is the flagship: 80% whole bunch, 100% new oak, three years in bottle before release. The Nadeson Collis label is their sparkling wine project — 18+ years in the making, traditional method, grower sparkling from Geelong fruit. The Coda is a zero-dosage blanc de blancs; the Inception Brut is a Champagne-style blend. These are wines made with the same scientific precision and artistic vision as everything else at Lethbridge.
Lethbridge Wines has two cellar doors — the mother ship at 74 Burrows Road, Lethbridge, and Lethbridge @Hatrock on the Bellarine Peninsula. Both offer intimate tastings, often with the winemaker, where the goal is that everyone leaves having learned something new about wine. Cheese and charcuterie platters feature local and international produce. The winery is a destination for wine lovers, scientists, and anyone who believes that the best wines express the unique character of special places. James Halliday has consistently rated Lethbridge among Australia's top producers. The wines are exported to the UK, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and China.
"Our belief is that the best wines express the unique character of special places."
— Ray Nadeson
The Lethbridge Range
Lethbridge produces approximately 10,000 dozen bottles annually across multiple ranges: the Lethbridge Estate wines (single-vineyard and estate blends), the Reserve wines named after their children (Mietta, Indra, Allegra, Hugo George), the Between Five Bells experimental range, the Nadeson Collis sparkling project, and an ever-evolving cast of Italian varieties, aromatic whites, and boundary-pushing blends. All are made with indigenous yeasts, minimal handling, and a commitment to expressing site above all else. The wines are not primary and fruit-forward; they lead with structure, texture, savouriness, and definitive freshness.