It’s a Family Affair!
After 26 years, CellarHand is still a family-run business. The ‘bosses’ (as much as they don’t like to be called that) are still that same husband and wife dynamic-duo that decided to “give it a crack” in 1999, starting up operations from their house, their bedroom in fact. And, after 26 years, CellarHand is still a business that prides itself on representing and celebrating some of the greatest winegrowing family businesses from both here in Australia and across the globe.
But this one, this is the O.G. founding family business of the CellarHand portfolio. Patrick and Virginia’s relationship with the Smith-Cullam family of Frankland Estate, is at the very core of the CellarHand soul – and can be credited with why and how CellarHand was born. Judi Cullam was responsible for sealing-the-deal on Patrick’s life-long love affair with Riesling and was an instrumental influence in the wines that were listed in the first CellarHand portfolio, including Frankland Estate as our first Australian Winegrower.
And of course with many family businesses (especially in this industry), comes succession. The 2024 vintage marked 25 years since siblings Hunter and Elizabeth Smith came “home” to work their first harvest together. Back to the place their parents, Judi Cullam and Barrie Smith put their stake in the ground in 1988 and declared this patch of dirt, at the time in the middle of nowhere (and still is, really….), their home and the future for their family.
Fast forward to 2025, those years of tenacity, conviction, dedication and the second generation’s unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries to achieve excellence have Frankland Estate comfortably sitting in the upper echelon of Australian wine. Furthermore, these wines are globally recognised as benchmarks across an immense stream of quality standards and hold true, genuine icon status. So, it is our absolute delight to present to you today, the Frankland Estate Annual Release of 2025, one that is very close to our hearts here at CellarHand. – Nevada Jones, CellarHand
The Wines
The CellarHand Team