The Team
Robert Lavelle
Assistant Manager
Rob has worked in the hospitality industry for over 15 years, amassing vast experience in luxury hotels, award-winning cocktail lounges, wine bars and quality à la carte restaurants in Brisbane and the Middle East. His experience in the field has been invaluable – if you need help pairing wine and food, organising wine selections for functions or if you need cocktail or beer information, he’s your man. Rob also hosts our popular Wine Appreciation Classes and is available for private functions. Rob is a jack of all trades who oversees our selection of craft beer and spirits alongside a deep love for Australian and New Zealand wines.
Charlie McKenzie
General Manager
With over 40 years in the hospitality trade there is little Charlie doesn’t know about fine wine, high-end spirits or craft beers. Hailing from Victoria, Charlie has worked as a manager in the bar and hospitality-retail trade Australia wide. Charlie brought his vast and enviable experience to The Wine Emporium becoming General Manager in 2007. Whether you need advice about rum based cocktails, vintage champagnes and everything in-between Charlie knows what you need instantly. He is also a Geelong Cats supporter - Go Cats!
Bernadette O'Shea
Champagne Consultant
Bernadette O’Shea has been saluted by France’s finest champagne makers. They pay tribute to her exceptional palate, profound Champagne knowledge, and the enthusiasm with which she imparts her skill. She has been honoured in Australia since 1984, when she became the first non professional woman to win the coveted Vin de Champagne Award, an award she currently co-judges. She has also been invested with the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, a Knighthood from the French Government for her contribution to the Champagne industry. Our full-time Champagne consultant and educator, she lives in Brisbane, enjoys a huge personal following of former and perennial students, and travels professionally both in Australia and Champagne, France.
Phil Stanton
Fine Wine Consultant / eCommerce Manager
Born and raised in Montreal, Canada and a native French speaker, Phil has worked for many years in the hospitality industry while studying a variety of subjects like literature, history and audio engineering. Attending a tasting in Montreal where Margaux and Palmer were poured changed his life and he dropped everything to study sommelerie under the tutelage of two preeminent wine personalities of the region. He then moved to Bordeaux for a 6 months winemaking apprenticeship at Château de Chantegrive that ended up with him staying there for three vintages. Discovering another facet of the wine industry that he found fascinating, he made the decision to move to Australia to pursue a B.ASc in Wine Sciences at Charles Sturt University. Phil loves French wines, with a strong focus on Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley.
Brent Williamson
Fine Wine Consultant
Brent is our resident Burgundy expert. A memorable bottle of Australian wine sparked Brent’s interest to study winemaking and viticulture. After a vintage at Grosset Wines in the Clare Valley in 2006 Brent enrolled in Charles Sturt University’s Winemaking and Viticulture program, graduating in 2012. By 2014 Brent's passion for Burgundy won him the prestigious Négociants “Working with Wine” Scholarship which sent him to France and Italy to visit some of the world’s finest wine producers including the illustrious Château Rayas and Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Brent is a fount of knowledge, his passion for wine means he can help you find the perfect Tuesday night wine or something serious enough to cellar for 15-20 years... or more! Whether you want a perfect Nebbiolo from Piemonte, a Syrah from the northern Rhone or a great Chardonnay or Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Brent can recommend exactly what you are looking for.