Born in 1951 in Naracoorte, Brendan Provis has witnessed the Coonawarra region develop from a place where cattle and orchards dominated local agriculture to one in which the vine is now supreme.

After leaving school Brendan started work as a stockman - but it wasn't long before he realised that viticulture was Coonawarra's most exciting prospect.

In the early 1970s Brendan started working at Mildara, the forerunner to what is known today as the Jamiesons Run winery, and began what would turn out to be an enduring relationship with Jamiesons Run.

Unlike most new recruits to viticulture today, Brendan learnt his skills from scratch on the job. Brendan soon won the respect of colleagues and was promoted to the supervisor of 400 acres of some of Australia's finest grape growing land. By 1983 Brendan had taken full managerial responsibility for vineyard operations.

After seven years in charge Brendan enrolled at Charles Sturt University and completed a degree in viticulture. With the degree under his belt Brendan now controls over 1,350 hectares of vineyard spread across the regions of Coonawarra, Wrattonbully and Padthaway.

Brendan's work as a viticulturist continues to earn him the acclaim of his peers. In the Limestone Coast Wine Show 2002, the award for the Best Wine of Show went to the Jamiesons Run Reserve 2000 and for his critical contribution to this winning wine Brendan became the first holder of the prestigious Arthur Hoffman Trophy for viticulture.