About
“We relish the process of transforming our wines into an enduring object of connection, whether they are enjoyed as a simple sip after work, to celebrate a special moment or to take their place in a collection.”
Nicole Samodol
Our cool climate setting
In the shadow of Mount Canobolas, in the midst of manicured gardens, boutique accommodation, and grapes vines that line the lush rolling hills of Orange, NSW, lives an epic story of love – love of family, love of community, and love of great wine. This is the story of Rowlee Wines.
Located in the rural hamlet of Nashdale, just outside Orange, in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Rowlee is a comfortable 3.5 hour drive from Sydney and Canberra. Private charter flights and helicopter transfers are available on request.
a family legacy
Rowlee Wines is a journey of excellence, and like all the best things, began as a passion project. Two lovers in life, and lovers of wine, set out to plant a vineyard. 20 years and 2 generations on, Rowlee Wines is an award-winning winery, with passion still at the heart of every bottle.
Rowlee is an old English word that means ‘roughly cleared meadow’, which is fitting given that our founders started with one paddock in Nashdale, just outside of Orange. In selecting the place to plant their passion, they searched far and wide, eventually landing in one of Australia’s highest and coolest winemaking regions – under the watchful eye of Mount Canobolas. It was the perfect spot to grow cool climate aromatics, chardonnay, pinot noir and their favourite Italian varieties, nebbiolo and arneis. Before long, the empty paddock was bursting with rows of vines, and the Rowlee vineyard was born. Due to the longer ripening times that come with Orange’s cool climate, our grapes produce complex, more subtle wines, and because of this our fruit became highly sought after by winemakers across New South Wales.
After more than a decade supplying exquisite grapes to others, and dabbling in their own winemaking, the next generation in the Rowlee story, Nicole and James realised their vision of creating a boutique label, utilising the highly sought after fruit that was being supplied to makers all around the state.“From the outset, we have wanted to make thoughtful, unpretentious wines that are simply delicious.”
Nicole Samodol
2013 was the year the Single Vineyard range was launched, and by 2017, Rowlee had developed a reputation as a quality producer of boutique wines. The accolades came pouring in, including the first five-star Halliday rating, amongst a string of awards at local and state shows for the Rowlee chardonnay and nebbiolo.
Rowlee wines now appear on the lists and tables of some of New South Wales finest restaurants, and with a boutique release every year, are an exclusive addition to dining experiences all over the State.
“From the very beginning, our grapes have always been sustainably grown and we continue to ensure we are making progress every year. We use drip irrigation throughout the vineyard to reduce water consumption, cover crops to nourish the soil, and natural pest-removal methods to keep our vineyard ecosystem in balance. The natural landscape of Mount Canobolas nourishes our vines with rich volcanic soils, with cool breezes off the mountain and warm sunny days providing us with the ideal site for our premium wines.”
Nicole Samodol
Key People
Nicole Samodol
Nicole Samodol is a highly regarded wine entrepreneur, who owns and operates Rowlee Wines. She brings a fresh perspective to the thrill of wine making, leveraging a 17 year corporate career focused on the development and implementation of strategy and business transformation to the industry she loves.
In a bold move, Nicole decided to deviate from the traditional corporate career path and move to the emerging wine region of Orange, NSW to grow grapes and make wine under her own label. In doing so she created one of NSW’s leading wine tourism businesses, with an award-winning cellar door and a variety of visitor experiences that now serves as a benchmark for other Australian wine makers.
Nicole has inspired others to develop and grow their own tourism businesses and her successful formula has caught the attention of state and national wine and tourism bodies, amongst whom she is considered an expert. Her recent speaking engagements include the Australian Tourism Export Council’s National Wine Tourism Conference, Wine Communicators of Australia Direct to Consumer Wine Summit, and Destination NSW’s Visitor Economy Forum.
In addition to running her own wine business, Nicole is a Vice President of NSW Wines and has served as President of the Orange Region Vignerons’ Association. Nicole holds an MBA, a bachelor’s degree in business, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
James Manny
James Andrew Manny is a highly effective Project Manager, with a successful reputation for delivering complex global projects. He brings his varied career history to his current role as Vigneron at luxury boutique winery, Rowlee Wines, where he oversees all vineyard operations and winemaking. He has led initiatives resulting in strong brand recognition, including regional and national awards.
James as a track record of innovation, including pioneering research on European Wasp suppression strategies, and successfully trialling sunscreen products on grapes during heatwaves.
In his diverse career, James co-developed motor vehicle safety technology with EVACast, chaired iCash Payments Systems/Neo ICP, leading the commercialisation of world-first cash handling technologies. As Managing Director of Credit New Holland Group, he navigated the company toa. Saleable scale, merging it with Centerstone for increased customer service and benefits of scale.
With a Bachelor of Business and extensive training, James was a finalist for the Vigneron of The Year Award at the Orange Wine Show, and is an active member of regional, state, and national associations.
