ICCWS Inc
Committee of Management
2024 - 2025
Meet the Executive Team
President & Life Member
Paul White
Paul has been in the wine industry for over the past 30 years. In 2005, Paul moved his operations to the Mornington Peninsula and over the next 11 years developed the largest Wine, Beer, and Cider distribution business, Whitehill Wine Distributors on the Mornington Peninsula, Bellarine Peninsula, and Surf Coast. His key to success has always been having a “hands-on approach” with his clients, talking through their specific needs and offering extensive knowledge on his portfolio including food matching and wine list development for degustation menus. In 2016 the business “Whitehill” with his daughter, Katrina continued with the business in the Bellarine and Surf Coast regions.
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Paul has been involved with all aspects of the International Cool Climate Wine Show (ICCWS), initially as a steward, then as an associate judge, a judge, a COM member, and now the President of ICCWS Inc.
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“The ICCWS is by far the best wine show of its type in Australia and it is an honour to be involved with, the great number of volunteers and stewards, the caliber of the judges, the venue, the support from the entrants (both here in Australia, New Zealand and other Cool Climate regions from around the world) and most of all reviewing and tasting Cool Climate wines is just so rewarding.”
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Paul, having been in a range of businesses for 40 years, brings to the Chairmanship a great wealth of skills and knowledge.
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More recently, he was invited to Italy to review wines and attend various shows in Florence, Italy, and other regions.
In March/April 2023 he attended Vinitali in Verona with a number of Importer/Distributors to introduce the ICCWS Show to those Cool Climate Wineries attending. The objective is to entice more Italian wineries to attend our Show supporting the Importer/Distributors here in Australia with the marketing and promotion of such wines. There is a significant growth in the consumers’ taste for Italian varieties.
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In his spare time, Paul consults to boutique wineries, to arrange marketing, and distribution of their wines. A job he loves doing!
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At the 2022 AGM, Paul was awarded a Life Membership for his time and service with the ICCWS.
Vice President
Terryn Hickinbotham
Terryn studied Science, majoring in Botany and Microbiology. On completing her BSc she was employed at the Melbourne University Botany Dept in the Pollen Biology Centre of Excellence for 13 years.
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For 5 years, the Hickinbotham family ran the Mt Anakie Vineyard owned by the Maltby family near Geelong. This is where Terryn & her husband Andrew, spent their weekends, at the vineyard, in the winery and in the cellar door learning everything about the wine industry from soil to bottle. This time was an experiment in wine regions, with fruit sourced from Gippsland, Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Bellarine, and Avoca to assess the flavour profiles, and structure inherent in wines from these regions.
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Without fail the wines from the Mornington Peninsula came up trumps year in year out, particularly with regards to Pinot noir and Chardonnay, hence their preference for purchasing land at Dromana, and for championing these varieties.
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They moved permanently to their Dromana vineyard in 1990 where we grew vine rootlings in their on-site nursery for other vineyard plantings on the Mornington Peninsula. During this time, in conjunction with Chisholm TAFE, they conducted classes and on-site training sessions for vineyard trainees on pruning techniques, vine physiology and general vine maintenance.
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Terryn has travelled overseas to various viticultural regions to improve their knowledge of growing and wine making techniques for Pinot and Chardonnay.
Each weekend they conduct wine tastings with education as a great part of their offering. This has been integral to their cellar door experience.
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Terryn is looking forward to bringing her broad experience within the industry, and as a wine show competitor, to the Committee of Management.
Vice President
Peter Stubbings
Peter is experienced in Management, Sales & Marketing and Business Development with 50 years’ experience in Electricity and Gas Markets and Not-for-Profit Consumer Advocacy.
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Peter is resident on the Mornington Peninsula but has a passion for all things French such that he and his wife spend 4 months each year in their village home in Val de Dagne, France. Val de Dagne is in the Aude department of Languedoc-Roussillon.
The Languedoc-Roussillon, known for its full-bodied red wines, and light and dry rosés. This wine growing region has become one of the most dynamic in the country having reinvented itself in the recent years by shifting its production focus to wines of high quality.
Expectedly, Peter and his wife have developed a taste for French wines, specifically Rouge & Rosé, and made friends with many local French Vignerons and participates in their annual “Vendage” hand picking grapes.
Peter is looking forward to applying his knowledge and experience to the ICCWS committee.
Vice President
Rob Morrison
Rob retired in July 2022 after working in the Hospitality Industry for 53 years, the last 16 years as the General Manager of Frankston RSL. Previously to that Rob was also General Manager at Bairnsdale RSL for 7 years and prior to that, managing many Hotels among other appointments.
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During Rob’s time at Frankston won RSL Sub-Branch of the year in 2012 and 2015 and Rob was awarded Club Manager of the year in 2006 and 2012. The National RSL awarded him a Honorary Life membership and the Victorian RSL nominated him into the Hall of Fame for his contributions to the State Branch and network.
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Over the time in the Industry Rob grew two passions which were food and wine, and through his connection with the Chairman, saw the opportunity to become part of the ICCWS Committee. He would love to see the organization continue to grow and help give the Cool Climate winegrowers the opportunity and voice to be heard in the wider market.
Treasurer
Peter Wilcox
Peter Wilcox is an accountant, with his firm based on Mornington Peninsula for over 30 years and is bringing his experience and knowledge in assisting local businesses with sound practical advice to the ICCWS Inc COM. Peter has attended a number of the International Cool Climate Wine Show events and is keen to assist in the growth and expansion of this show.
Peter has been involved with Mornington Peninsula wine and food groups for many years and has attended several wine master classes during that time.
A keen traveller, Peter is always able to make room for visiting or staying at a local, interstate or international winery - great places to learn about viticulture and wines.
His favourite destinations include our Mornington Peninsula vineyards, the Coonawarra and the Barossa in South Australia plus the wineries of Bordeaux and New Zealand.
Peter says "There is always time to enjoy a wine and keen to further my appreciation for it!! Let’s all set aside time to do so!"
Secretary
Howard Jones
Bio to come.
Committee of Management
Frank La Monica
Frank has had experience across many differing areas. However the experience he brings to our committee of management steams from his 28 years being the owner/manager of delicatessens & restaurants, numerous years across other areas of the hospitality field, including bars, hotels and reception centres.
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Frank has also been a valuable steward for our event for numerous years now, and his involvement with the ICCWS goes back further, when he would host our judges dinners in his wonderful local restaurant "La Monica's" and even provided private catering for different ICCWS functions. Frank is fluent in Italian and is hoping to assist with bring more Italian wine entries into our event.
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Frank is looking forward to his involvement on the COM.
Tim Mullane
Tim is a laid back, positive and optimistic person. He is a professional creative with over 20 years experience in corporate Photography and Video. He also has over 15yrs in corporate sales and management.
Wine is one of his three passions, together with Photography and Coffee.
Tim’s passion for wine was initiated after completing a cool climate wine appreciation course on the Mornington Peninsula, which exposed him to growing, harvesting and producing pinot noir as a year long "hands on experience" with a group of wine enthusiasts. This turned into an annual coming together of new friends to make wine, experimenting with clone types, blends, barrel and fermentation variations etc… and that was that, Tim was hooked.
Tim relishes the opportunity to be involved and contribute to the ICCWS and in particular the showcasing of cool climate wines across an international industry. An opportunity that doesn’t present itself often.
Ebony Round
Ebony is a brand strategist and creative leader with a knack for turning bright ideas into thriving businesses. She launched her own creative studio at just 24 and, over the past two decades, has partnered with start-ups, SMEs, local councils, not-for-profits, and big-name corporations to craft brand stories that truly connect and deliver results.
Ebony gets it—every business needs focused nurturing, a sharp eye on the budget, and plenty of encouragement to thrive. She knows great design drives results and will be there to celebrate every win, from your first sale to your next big milestone.
An expert in strategic branding, Ebony creates identities built to last. Whether it’s brand strategy, logo design, marketing campaigns, or web development, she brings a clear and compelling vision to every project. She’s especially passionate about startups, tourism, and healthcare, helping brands uncover their unique and captivating edge.
Off the clock, you’ll find Ebony in gumboots, harvesting veggies on her acre farmlet or exploring Mornington Peninsula’s hidden pinot treasures with her family tribe own tow.
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William Bond
Williams’ experience is extremely wide ranging. From all areas of the corporate world, business, finance, consulting and marketing to, tv and media production. William also has a great deal of experience in voice overs, DJ’ing, and both local and commercial radio.
His deep passion for wine has seen him establish and distribute his own wine brand, “Mr Bond” , which is based here, on the Mornington Peninsula.
William not only brings all of these skills and talents to our Committee of Management, but has also been an entrant in many of our past shows. This means he can see both sides of the story, when it comes to the International Cool Climate Wine Show – that of a committee member and an entrant. William has been on our COM previously, and has now returned to continue his involvement.
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Mario M Anders
An extensive background in technology management in the legal sector, Mario presents many skills around Automated Processing, Event Management and Project Control as well as Quality Management. Also a past hotel landlord in both the United Kingdom and Australia, Mario became an amateur winemaker 18 years ago producing a range of wines, grape wines, and fruit wines. “Handmade wines from handpicked grapes grown in Victoria. Mario has medals and trophies to show for it for his skills including the Eltham Wine Guild - Jo llian Trophy for Best Wine of Show.
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Mario has travelled extensively in Australia and overseas to sample and taste many of the wines in local European regions. Immediately pre-covid he visited the Rhine Regions from Germany to Alsace in France.
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Prior visits included Turkey to investigate wine production and tasting wines from Indigenous grape varieties as well as International clones of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Mario was also fortunate to visit China and experience their local wines which are now becoming popular around the world. Incidentally, China now has one-half of the total grape wine production in the world.
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Mario is Treasurer and Event manager for the Eltham Wine Guild, a group dedicated to keeping up the art of “craft winemaking on an artisan level”.
Mario also devotes his spare time to a number of non-for-profits organisations and charities.