Third generation Kelly at Kellybrook. Born and bred on the property, son of Yarra Valley wine pioneers, Darren and Farley Kelly. Phil grew up living and working at Kellybrook. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree and embarking on a big European adventure, he went full time in 1993. He joined his father, Darren, to assist in vineyard work, and wine and cider production. It’s not easy to take time away from a family business, but he managed to start his winemaking degree and do vintages in France and Austria in 1995. He now oversees the wine and cider production, and the vineyard team.

Phil’s younger years were largely spent on horseback, exploring the bush between Kellybrook and the Yarra River, and playing the guitar. Nothing much has changed there, only there are more horses. He feels a very deep connection to the place.

He and Jenny, live on the adjoining property with their sons, Oscar and Jasper, who now also work in the business.

Third generation Kelly at Kellybrook. The older brother of Phil, Gus also grew up on the property. In his case though, the lure of the city and its music culture was too strong, and he moved to inner city Melbourne in his late teens. He attained a business degree and, after a very successful sales career, he and Phil started the Kelly Brothers Cider range. He joined the business full time in 2012 and now shares the role of manager with Phil. He’s a hands-on kind of guy who loves a surf, and plays gigs with his band around the inner-city pubs.

Jenny joined the Kellybrook team in 1993 during the time she rented the very charming, original cottage on the property where Darren was raised. Her first job at Kellybrook was pruning but she soon moved into hospitality, working as a waiter in what was then our a la carte restaurant.

Jenny met Phil around this time and, a few years later, they were married under the Kellybrook oak tree.

Jenny recently took a few years out to pursue her dreams of teaching cooking and gardening at the local primary school and starting a local farmers’ market. After ticking off those achievements, Jenny returned to Kellybrook in 2020.

Having worked extensively in the kitchen, front of house and events, she now manages our team of hospitality staff in the cellar door. Her role also encompasses marketing, online sales, and events.

She loves a bushwalk down by the Yarra and is currently on a mission to spot a platypus.

A fourth generation Kelly at Kellybrook, Oscar is the eldest son of Phil and Jenny, and joined the business full time in 2020. He grew up on the property, and Kellybrook runs in his blood.

Oscar works in the vineyard and cider blending cellar. He is a very handy horseman and motorbike rider, and is mad about 4WDing and the great outdoors. When he is not in the vineyard or cellar, he can usually be found tinkering on his car or away on a 4WD camping adventure.

Stuart has been based in the Yarra Valley since 2012. His journey prior to this time had encompassed a Wine Science degree and working in a number of wine regions both in Australia and across Europe.

Stuart has been making the Kellybrook wines since vintage 2017 and has been focused on finding small gains in quality each year. He is committed to ensuring the wine styles are modern and up to date whilst layering in some Kellybrook history along the way. Stuart enjoys working with the eclectic nature of the vineyard and with the fully established “old vines” on the property. He believes old vines add an extra layer of complexity that winemaking alone cannot achieve.

It is rare that Stuart will drink the same wine twice or have favourite wines, although if he had to choose, it would be a cool climate Chardonnay with a few years of bottle age. He’s pretty handy on the guitar, too.

Darren is a second-generation Kelly at Kellybrook. He was born and raised on the property - son to Alfred and Inez Kelly, who purchased the Kellybrook property in 1935. Darren has always been a man of the land. Although his early working days were as an accountant, his heart was in farming and with incredible determination, he built one of the first wineries in the Yarra Valley. Darren and Farley have always been a team, Farley intellectual and Darren agricultural.

Starting out by making cider from the apples they grew on the property, winemaking commenced in the late 1960’s. They were the first to open a cellar door in the Yarra Valley (1970). In 1984, they opened one of the first winery restaurants in the region, surrounded by the beautiful gardens established by Farley. They managed the business up to the early 2000’s when they handed the reins over to son, Phil.

Darren has continued to manage the vineyard until fairly recently when his grandson, Oscar, took the main responsibility for this. Darren loves the property, will never really retire and is most at home when fixing something or working outside. Farley is determined to finish her book on the history of Belves, France.

Darren and Farley have been formally recognised as pioneers of the Yarra Valley wine industry.