Pam Dunsford

Pam Dunsford was born at Mount Barker and completed her secondary education at Walford. Between 1969 to 1972, whilst studying Agricultural Science at Adelaide University, Pam became very interested in learning more about wine. After graduation, Pam was the first woman admitted to Roseworthy Agricultural College. There she lived in the infectious diseases ward, and considered the college an 'all male post schoolboy environment'. The academic study of wine making which Pam really appreciated occurred when she did her Masters degree at Davis, University of California in 1978/79. From Roseworthy, Pam went to Wynns winery in McLaren Vale. She worked there from 1974 until 1986. Pam explains in great detail how three men, Morgan Yeatman, Bob Williams and Brian Walsh, taught her about developing the palate of the wine and management of people. While Pam is a great believer in cross regional blending, she finds McLaren Vale one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. She explained the technological developments pioneered by Wynns and their sponsorship of the Master of Wine group from Europe in 1985. After leaving Wynns, Pam gained a Churchill Scholarship which she spent in Champagne, France. Upon returning to Australia, she became a consultant and lectured at Roseworthy and the hotel school at Regency Park. In 1987, Pam became a consultant to Robert Gerard's winery, Chapel Hill, where she now works almost full-time. The interview closes with Pam Dunsford's reflections upon the changes she has seen in her working life and the contribution of women to winemaking.