Our Winemaking team
Phil Mcgahan
Chief Executive Officer & Chief Winemaker
Phil has over 20 years’ experience in the wine industry, having worked extensively in Australia, the United States, Canada, and frequently visited France and Italy for industry research. Throughout his career, Phil has sought exposure to a wide variety of grape varieties, wine styles, winemaking techniques and business practices.
Agriculture runs deep in Phil’s family, having grown up on a wheat farm on Queensland’s Darling Downs. His rural background, along with careers as a Solicitor and publisher prior to winemaking, provide him with a unique skill set. Phil has worked with traditional and alternative grape varieties, in varying settings. This wide ranging experience allows him to manage and plan for change and to adapt to circumstances that arise – be they due to the growing season, sales trends, industry bodies, the economy or international pressures.
Phil obtained his winemaking degree at Charles Sturt University, having previously completed a Bachelor of Laws (QUT) and Master of Arts (MQ).
Contact - philip@kingvalleywines.com.au; Mobile - 0407 746 702
Iryna semchyshsyn-PATIL
Winemaker - Quality Assurance
Iryna embarked on her academic pursuits in her native Ukraine where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Technology and Engineering, then secured a Master’s Degree in Technology of Fermentative Production and Winemaking. Her pursuit of knowledge continues as she delves into the digital dimensions of the wine industry through a Diploma in Digital Technologies at Flinders University, complementing her existing qualifications. She also holds a WSET Level 3 certification with distinction.
Iryna has been with King Valley Wines since 2015 after travelling around the world and doing vintages in Ukraine, New Zealand, and United States. Her commitment to quality and meticulous attention to detail have made a lasting mark on the winemaking process. As the dedicated Quality Manager at King Valley Wines, Iryna plays a pivotal role in ensuring that every drop of wine produced reflects the standards of excellence.
Contact - iryna@kingvalleywines.com.au
harry kinsman
Winemaker - Winery Operations
Harry began in the wine industry in his home-town of Brisbane, working in fine wine retail and restaurants. The passion of touring winemakers left a strong mark, and Harry's interest in the world of wine blossomed. He soon determined the best path forward was to move to a town where he didn't know anyone to study something he knew very little about, and he moved to Adelaide to study winemaking.
Fifteen years later, Harry has completed vintages across France, USA, New Zealand and Australia and has held winemaking positions in Coonawarra, Griffith, Mildura, and now, the King Valley. In addition to his degree in Viticulture and Oenology he has completed a Masters degree in Wine Business and the AWRI AWAC course, and has been a judge and associate at numerous regional wine shows. He's proud of consecutive best-wine-of-show awards won for wines from the Hilltops in NSW and is particularly passionate about Italian varieties, particularly Nebbiolo, and is thrilled to be exploring these varieties in the King Valley. He loves the diversity of challenges posed by our broad client base, and discussing how we can best achieve an ideal winemaking outcome in the bottle.
He's a keen (if sometimes overly ambitious) home cook and loves spending time with his young family, discovering the beauty of North-East Victoria.
Contact - harry@kingvalleywines.com.au
