John was born in 1974 in Adelaide. He finds it amusing that 1974 is regarded as one of the worse vintages in Australia's history! He grew up on his family's Riesling vineyard in Clare and began to develop his passion for wine. Even then, he was on a quest to understand
Riesling.

Being a foodie, John moved to the Barossa in 2002, taking advantage of the many local restaurants and beverage scene. He travelled to Germany, delving into the many sweetness levels of Riesling. He worked in the Barossa wine industry including stints at Vinpac, Peter Lehmann Wines and 7 years with Chris Ringland before producing his first Rieslingfreak wine in 2009.

In 2013, John began working full time on the wine and the label, now producing Riesling from Eden Valley, Clare, Polish Hill River and Flaxman Valley, incorporating both regional and styles of the variety. John and his partner Belinda, also a winemaker, are based in Tanunda, and work together on Rieslingfreak.

He is fiercely committed to the Barossa community and always supportive of Barossa Australia, just completing a 7-year stint on the Barossa Wine Show Committee.

He has worked for many years with Foundation Barossa and created the Kicking Goals
Scholarship, which supports local children living with a disability. John currently sits on three boards - Foundation Barossa, Barossa Enterprises and The Tanunda Clubhouse.