Our Story

PHILOSOPHY

A Heritage of Elegance and Sustainability

Juniper’s outlook combines the tenets of heritage, authenticity and original thinking with a view to producing wines of elegance and sophistication that showcase the best of the Margaret River region. We grow what we make and make what we grow, all from our distinctive vineyards in Wilyabrup and Karridale.

The sites are exciting in their differences, but their farming is united by sustainable and organic practices resulting in the best fruit possible that reflects each vineyard’s idiosyncrasies. The wines we make reflect a combination of their place, vintage and variety, and are expressions of our passion, to be shared and enjoyed in good company.

The Story of Juniper Estate

The land on which Juniper stands has its own story. In the 1800s, the road from Busselton to Augusta crossed the Wilyabrup Brook right where our estate now lies. The current vineyard block was formed through a subdivision by the Juniper family- renowned Western Australian artists- whose name we proudly carry. The Juniper Estate vineyard (formerly Wright’s) was planted in 1973, making it one of the original sites in Margaret River, alongside pioneers like Vasse Felix, Cape Mentelle, Cullen, Moss Wood and Woodlands.

Juniper was founded in 1998 by the late Roger Hill and his wife, Gillian Anderson, with the vision of producing wines that stand among the best in Margaret River and beyond.

In 2017, their sons Nick and Tom stepped in to lead the next chapter of the business with the same dedication to quality and place. After five years of working together, Nick has taken his career in a new direction, and Tom now leads Juniper as CEO.

The ambition remains unchanged—to grow and craft truly great wines from our own land.

Crafting Wines with Soul, Precision, and Care

A deep respect for the history of the region, and the pursuit to push boundaries, drives our outlook in creating wines that reflect their time and place. This begins with careful and thorough manual intervention in the vineyard and attentive yet minimal intervention in the winery.

Important to our philosophy is retention of the individuality of each parcel of fruit, with a block-by-block approach to their winemaking. This enables us control in blending, using complementary parcels to preserve the uniqueness and personality of our distinctive Margaret River sites. Oak maturation is used to enhance complexity and contribute to the refinement of the wines.

We craft wines of integrity and quality, but never at the expense of approachability. Whether you're a seasoned collector or simply celebrating a good day, our wines are made to meet you where you are- relatable, expressive, and memorable.

The Team

Gillian Anderson

Owner

Gillian Anderson, together with her husband Roger Hill and their business partner, Viv Booker, started Juniper in 1998.

Following Roger’s death in 2013, Gillian became sole owner of Juniper, continuing with Juniper’s reputation of making fine Margaret River wine.

Gillian is proud to see her son Tom continue in the footsteps of her and Roger.

Tom Hill

CEO

Roger and Gillian’s son Tom, represents the second generation of the Hill family to run Juniper, having taken the reins at the end of 2017.

Tom has the commitment and ambition to continue Roger’s legacy to build an enduring wine business that produces the best possible wines from our own vineyards.

Andrew Bretherton

Head Winemaker

After completing Oenology at the University of Adelaide in 2008, Andrew has worked in Mosel (Germany), Burgundy (France) and Chianti Classico (Italy) as well as Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley and Margaret River. In 2011 Andrew took on a winemaking role at De Bortoli, Yarra Valley with responsibility for the white wine program and in 2017 made the move to Deep Woods Estate as Senior Winemaker to return to his home state and continue to build on the success of Deep Woods.

Andrew is extremely excited to take the role of Head Winemaker at Juniper Estate in 2023 and work with an estate with a proud history and some of the oldest vines in Margaret River.

Ianto Ward

Viticulturist

Ianto (pronounced Yan-toh) joined Juniper in 2008, having previously been employed by locally by AHA Viticulture. He has overall responsibility for the three Juniper vineyards and over the past 10 years has improved the health of the soil and vines on all the sites, through implementing organic and other sustainable management techniques.

In his own words “I am passionate about sustainable farming and organic practices. Being a father, I understand my small role in leaving a ‘lighter touch’ on the earth and maintain a healthy and biodiverse environment for my children.”

Ianto’s work was recognised in Margaret River in 2019 when he was awarded the Viticultural Excellence Award at the Margaret River Wine Show. His sustained initiatives have also resulted in all three vineyard sites obtaining certification under the Sustainable Winemaking Australia program in late 2022.

Jess Collins

Cellar Door Manager

Jess joined the team in 2024 and leads the cellar door team. Jess has a passion for providing our guests with a memorable, relaxed and rewarding experience at Juniper

Luc Fitzgerald

Winemaker

Luc is a winemaker for Juniper and also Head Winemaker of our sister brand Higher Plane.

Daniel Stocker

Vineyard Manager

Dan manages the Higher Plane Vineyard.

Beau Bretherton

Wine Dog

Beau comes to work with Andy, but spends his day running in the vineyard, jumping in the Wilyabrup Brook, and begging for treats or pats from staff and customers.