Dal Zotto Wines appoints first CEO from outside the family

Dal Zotto Wines, the King Valley winery that pioneered Australia’s prosecco production, has appointed Harry Brazel as its new CEO. Brazel has replaced Chief Winemaker and Co-Owner Michael Dal Zotto in the top leadership position.

The news, which marks the first time owners Michael and Christian Dal Zotto have looked outside the family for a top leadership role, follows on from Dal Zotto Wines’ strong recent growth, which has seen it increase 12% year-on-year since 2019.

“I’ve been CEO for over 15 years and it’s time for a change and time for me to concentrate on the winemaking side of things,” said Michael Dal Zotto.

“The business growth has enabled us to look at Dal Zotto Wines more broadly and bring someone in, separate to the family, to steer the ship… Harry has a lot of fresh ideas and it’s time to create more opportunities. It’s what’s best for the business.”

Harry Brazel, who started his career as a Chartered Accountant, first worked in the wine industry between 2017 and 2021 as the Commercial Manager of Limestone Coast Wines. Following this, he has been working as Chief Financial Officer at Rutherglen’s Baker Seed Co.

Brazel said, “for me, it was the perfect position. It appealed to me. I love wine and the wine industry, have the skill-set and I was already living in the region. I couldn’t have written the script better; it ticked a lot of boxes.”

A lot of Dal Zotto’s recent growth has been down to its 2023 addition of an accommodation option which has increased cellar door visitation by 20%, along with its purchase of a 100 acre vineyard in the Whitlands, increasing its holdings by 50%. 

According to the new CEO, the company’s primary focus moving will be to “invest in our team with the objective to grow our business to become a recognisable drink brand.

“It all starts with our people,” said Brazel. 

Michael and Christian Dal Zotto purchased the family vineyard from parents Otto and Elena in 2017, which marked the first change of hands since the winery was founded. Nowadays, Michael handles the winemaking side of the business and Christian handles sales and marketing.

According to Christian, “Harry is young, motivated and has the hunger to take the business to the next level. And my brother - who has been in the gig for 15 odd years - can step back and enjoy the winemaking side of his role. It’s a win-win for Dal Zotto Wines.

The Dal Zotto family were the first to commercially plant prosecco varieties in Australia, beginning with cuttings from Otto’s home town of Valdobbiadene, a cool-climate wine-producing village near the Veneto region and the home of prosecco. Prosecco continues to represent a significant portion of Dal Zotto’s overall production.

Christian says that changes should be expected soon at Dal Zotto Wines under the new leadership. 

“All I can say is, watch this space closely; good things are coming,” he said.