Team Tscharke

Grape grower, winemaker, innovator and scholar, Damien is the protagonist at the heart of Tscharke’s. Inspired by the past, with a dynamic vision for the future of Tscharke, Damien is foremost a regenerative farmer, passionate about investing in the health and biodiversity of this land that his family has farmed for six generations.

Internationally recognised for his sustainable winemaking and innovative development of alternate grape varietals in Australia, today Damien’s focus in the winery is producing bright, aromatic wines that reflect the beauty and romance of the Barossa and running Tscharke as a contemporary, progressive wine business.

Favourite time in the lunar calendar? Fruit days.

Met once, remembered forever, Marco brings the international flair to Tscharke. An autodidactic polymath (yep), he’s our resident perfectionist and lover of the very finest things in life, scanning his unwavering attention to detail over every millimetre of Tscharke. When asked what he brings to the table, Marco answered lasagna, and this tells you everything you need to know about the man with his favourite pasta recipe tattooed on one arm.

As only he can, Marco describes his wines as “characterful, human wines, with depth rather than width.”

Favourite wine? Blanc de blancs Champagne, drunk from a Riesling glass. Of course.

Chef, tractor-wrangler extraordinaire, and possessor of the world’s most impressive work-ethic, Kylie works tirelessly (mainly in the background) to keep the the Tscharke vineyards in exceptional condition.

Growing up on the Tscharke family farm, Kylie is inspired by the legacy of her folks, and a desire to carry forward what they created through years of hard work. She loves the buzz and energy of vintage, the whole team pulling together for a common goal.

Her favourite place to be in the world? On a mechanical harvester at 2am in the middle of vintage. The busier the better.

As our Chief Curatorial Wine Officer (!), Tam is in charge of pulling together and dispatching the precious orders that leave our warehouse every day and making sure your wine is sent swiftly on its way. She’s a burstingly proud mum of two great kids, who loves the warmer weather and being by the seaside. The Barossa is a long way from any beach, but that’s where she’ll beeline, given the chance!

Tam has previously worked as both a florist *and* an early childhood carer and educator, so meandering strolls through the beautiful outdoors top her list of outside-of-work activities – bonus points if the kids come along as well.

Favourite flowers? The very zen-like lotus flower; the perfect match for our quiet achiever.

Jodie is our administrative powerhouse, taking care of financial and strategic planning, administration and all things Tscharke business. If you call into the office or drop us a line via email, chances are you’ll run into Jodie.

The Tscharke family tree is a multifarious botanical wonder, and Jodie’s position is best described as ‘the far end of an outer branch’ but family is family and Jodie is well-versed in the Tscharke Way of Doing Things. Fortunately for our team, Jodie knows her way around a spreadsheet. If there’s something that needs planning, multiplying, categorising or colour coding then she’s the woman for the job.

Outside of work hours you’ll find Jodie playing the role of Uber-Mum for two busy teenagers, and de-camping for off track adventures, given the opportunity. Her family is also heavily involved in both the netball and football clubs for Barossa District.

Current strategic priority? Rabbits wreaking havoc in the veggie garden. Look out fellas!

Vintage casuals are a special breed – they turn up, give it their all and then disappear back into the ether, leaving a lasting legacy. In 2022 we’ve been fortunate indeed to convert Liam from a vintage cellar hand to a full time employee.

Now a qualified winemaker, Liam spends his time working across the winery and vineyards with Damien, Marco and Kylie. In his spare time he’s planting up a storm in the Tscharke veggie patch – a hobbie that we all benefit from!

Favourite sound: leaves plucking off the vines (you’ll have to ask Liam what this means…!)

As an avid consumer of Tscharke Wines for the past ten years, it was only natural that Russ came knocking on the Tscharke front door…. “Hey Damien… do you need some help selling your ripping wines around Australia” …. “Mate…for sure!” replied Damien, and the rest is history.

A lover of Grenache, and the Australian ambassador to the International Grenache Association in France, Russ also loves to entertain his wife and four kids and pets namely Whoofie, Spicey, Winney, Patch, Ed, Bessie, and Maggie (cats, cows, dog and mini lops).

Russ, a Wine Marketing graduate from Roseworthy, is increasing the distributions of Tscharke Wines across Australia and looks forward to welcoming trade customers to Tscharke very soon.

With the opening of our new wine showcase venue “The Protagonist”, we were delighted to welcome Mark to Tscharke. Mark is the person who greets you as you come through the door at The Protagonist.

Mark brings his extensive industry experience, both in Australia and overseas, in wineries, cellar doors and wine bars. Mark’s eye for detail, precision and passion for fine wine is contagious and will enrich the experience of every guest at the Protagonist.

Mark is also the reigning ‘Puns World Champion’, after his victory at the 2022 Puns and Jokes Olympics!

There are some key truths at the heart of Tscharke. We make exceptional wine, we operate with principles of *genuine* sustainability, we strive for constant evolution, and we love what we do.

If you’d like to get on board with Team Tscharke, we’d love to hear from you. We’re always seeking exceptional people who know they’re good at what they do. Drop a line through to info@tscharke.com.au and let’s talk.