Robyn Lewis – founder and CEO of VisitVineyards.com
Australia's leading online wine and food travel guide
Launch of VisitVineyards.com membership program - Robyn Lewis, CEO [©Getty Images]
Robyn Lewis, the founder and CEO of VisitVineyards.com, has over fifteen years experience working in tourism and marketing, backed by extensive international experience and a background in strategic planning, project management, brand development, digital marketing and wine and food innovation, in Australia and overseas.
Robyn's deep-seated interest in food and wine began with her early cooking efforts as a child. Dining out was a regular family activity, and at age seven she was introduced to wine appreciation by the maitre d' of Florentino's, one of the fine dining restaurants her family treated her to.
So began a life-long love affair with food and wine, which led her to the culinary-rich landscape of Europe to study a Master of Life Sciences degree at Oxford. She then embarked on challenging roles in project design and management in economic development in Asia and Africa and strategic planning for a number of aid organisations, including the World Bank.
Returning to Australia in the 1990s, Robyn project managed the foundation of a private antiquities museum at Moorilla Estate, and built a successful brand loyalty program for a beverage company in Queensland.
She moved to Victoria and noticed how rapidly the wine industry had evolved. Keen to explore the regions and uncover some hidden gems, she found herself swamped with hundreds of brochures and maps which made planning regional trips confusing and time consuming. Thus the idea of VisitVineyards.com was born.
Moving to the Coal River region in Tasmania to manage a boutique vineyard with her husband Charles, an experienced viticulturist and rural property valuation expert, Robyn set about developing the foundation for Visit Vineyards.com, with the intention of assisting travellers to find and connect with the many fantastic wine and boutique food producers around Australia.
The launch of the VisitVineyards.com Membership program took place in September 2008. Robyn's long term goal is that Visit Vineyards.com becomes the market leader for online wine, food and related lifestyle travel, initially in Australia and later beyond, and a community not only for wine and food-loving consumers but for industry also.
VisitVineyards.com is already achieving those goals in Australia where is it now the leading online guide to wine and food travel, with over 28,000 subscribers (October 2010) and a website which outranks those of three State tourism authorities.
In September 2010 VisitVineyards.com launched two major alliances, with RACV and RACT, in develping a Regional Wine and Food Program which brings benefits to a combined membership of over 2.2 million. This program is being expanded nationally.
Robyn was also recently awarded the Telstra BusinessWomen's Nokia Innovation Award for Tasmania.
The VisitVineyards.com team is based in various locations throughout Australia, providing knowledge, experience and local points of contact. They include Kerry Scambler (Tasmanian alliance manager, Hobart), Graham Brown, Trish Brown (IT, Melbourne), Mike Cretan (IT, Hobart), Andrew Chataway (IT, subscriptions management and wine industry alliances, Adelaide), Sara Schwarz (Alliance Manager, Victoria), and Charles Lewis (financial management, Hobart).
There are up to 20 wine, food and travel writers nationwide contributing to the site, and VisitVineyards.com is developing international content alliances, including wine writers Jancis Robinson MW, based in London, Edward Ragg in China and Evan Goldstein in California.
For further information view Robyn's profile on LinkedIn »
See also media articles, interviews and releases about Robyn Lewis and VisitVineyards.com here »
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VisitVineyards.com CEO Robyn Lewis joins sommelier Dan Sims and host Ali Moore on 774 ABC radio's The Conversation Hour, talking about wine and food.
VisitVineyards.com was born after trying to plan a wine and food holiday the hard way - using brochures. Listen to CEO Robyn Lewis on how to make your holiday planning ... read more
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Le Figaro calls her "the undisputed mistress of the kingdom of wine". Receive an immediate introductory 
Like to discover more about this state's lifestyle, wine, food and more? Then ask us now for your free copy of Tasmania 40 Degrees South the magazine that showcases the best of Australia's island state. 
In our No 1 Wine Book of 2010, Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein matches distinctive wines with recipes from his favourite chefs in this book focussing on new and emerging grape varietals. VisitVineyards.com subscribers and Members buying this book will receive a 
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In Heart and Soul Graeme Lofts gives life and character to the pioneering people behind our wine industry with this excellent book about Australia's First Families of Wine. We have one copy to be won and from one of the First Families, Campbells, a bottle of their superb Bobbie Burns Shiraz to sip on whilst you read. 