Thursday 12 September 2019: Innovative winery, Mollydooker Wines, has been named the 2019 Telstra South Australian Business of the Year.
In the heart of South Australia’s McLaren Vale, Mollydooker Wines brings incredible attention to detail at every step. Mollydooker Wines uses data and analytics to keep track of vine growth, grape sugar content and watering needs to bring exceptional quality wine at an affordable price.
The family-owned winery, led by Sarah Marquis as Chief Winemaker, produces 70,000 to 100,000 cases annually and exports 80 percent of it.
“Our wines have a distinctive style and taste. They are full of fruit and flavour and we are proud of the dedication, passion and energy that goes into creating every bottle,” said Ms Marquis.
Mollydooker Wines also took home the 2019 Telstra South Australian Medium & Making Waves Award.
The Telstra Business Awards are a long standing, exclusive platform that recognise Australia’s best businesses, provide expert advice, open networking opportunities and help them gain the credibility to take their business to the next level.
Winners were chosen across four categories: Emerging & Energised, Small & Succeeding, Medium & Making Waves, and Social Change Maker.
Telstra Group Executive, Consumer & Small Business, Michael Ackland, said the winners of the 2019 Telstra South Australian Business Awards demonstrated excellence across six key judging criteria, underpinned by a commitment to innovation and technology.
“The South Australian winners are shining examples of businesses doing great things in new and effective ways for their customers,” Mr Ackland said.
“They have inspired us all with their resilience, courage and incredible commitment.
“We were impressed by Mollydooker Wines’ business savviness, clear vision and values. With strong financial foundations, the entire team is focused on ensuring the wine quality remains consistent, while making very smart decisions about how the business grows.”
The other category winners of the 2019 Telstra South Australian Business Awards are:
- Specialist consultancy firm, Society Marketing Communications, won the 2019 Telstra South Australian Emerging & Energised Award
- Physiotherapy service, Physio Fit Adelaide, won the 2019 Telstra South Australian Small & Succeeding Award
- Disability and injury underwater therapy service, Determined2, won the 2019 Telstra South Australian Social Change Maker Award
All 2019 South Australian winners will join other state and territory category winners at the national 2019 Telstra Australian Business Awards in Melbourne on Thursday 21 November 2019.
Telstra Business Awards nominations are open year-round. For more information, please visit: www.telstrabusinessawards.com
Winners of the 2019 Telstra South Australian Business Awards
Mollydooker Wines – 2019 Telstra South Australian Business of the Year
In the heart of South Australia’s McLaren Vale, Mollydooker Wines is making waves in the industry by bringing innovative techniques and an uncompromising commitment to providing exceptional quality wine at an affordable price. This family-owned winery, led by Sarah Marquis as Chief Winemaker, produces 70,000 to 100,000 cases annually and exports 80 per cent of it. With incredible attention to detail at every step, Mollydooker uses data and analytics to keep track of vine growth, grape sugar content and watering needs while in the fields. This intensive process ensures the wine contains the optimal fruit weight, which is the percentage of the drinker’s palate covered by the taste of fruit. The higher the fruit weight, the higher the wine quality. In its final phase, Mollydooker adds nitrogen as a preservative to its wines to reduce the use of harmful sulphites. It then uses its Mollydooker Shake™ technique where it inverts and shakes the wine bottle to restore its full-flavoured taste.
Society Marketing Communications – 2019 Telstra South Australian Emerging & Energised Award winner
Society Marketing Communications was born out of a need to change the future of public relations and marketing agencies from being profit and awards focused to becoming more human-centric. Founder Dena Vassallo created the marketing and PR business in 2017 with the promise of delivering business impact for its clients. Its focus on clients, alongside the team’s relentless passion, makes way for a culture that is fearless in its ideas and ability to get to the heart of a problem, as well as the creative ways it generates positive business impact for brands through marketing communications. The business always looks to give back to society and proactively finds new ways to contribute, typically through added value, reduced fees or free of charge consulting to deserving organisations. In 2019, it is supporting the launch of a media guide and workshop about reporting on post-traumatic stress in veterans and first responders.
Physio Fit Adelaide – 2019 Telstra South Australian Small & Succeeding Award winner
Physio Fit Adelaide strives to give customers the best experience by creating an environment that is changing health care experiences for the better. The business decided to move away from traditional healthcare practices and deliver unique hospitality and comfort facilities such as complimentary herbal tea, premium coffee and massage chairs for its customers while they wait. A key area of focus for the team is pain and injury management. Prevention can be better than the cure, so they consistently provide injury prevention seminars and workshops to grassroots sports clubs and gyms. The growth of the business has increased rapidly through constantly nurturing relationships with the team and other business owners.
Determined2 – 2019 Telstra South Australian Social Change Maker Award winner
Determined2 provides innovative immersion therapy services for people living with disabilities and injuries. As a service conducted underwater, it provides a near-weightless, low-impact environment giving participants the chance to experience movements that may otherwise be impossible. As each participant requires a specific and tailored service for their individual needs, every session is unique. While delivering the best possible service to each patient, Determined2 also provides employment opportunities to people living with disabilities within the community. In 2017, they were able to secure a grant for pilot research that connected them with the University of South Australia and helped develop effective therapy options backed by evidence, research and credibility.
