When Henry Hudson moved to LA in the early 2010s, he realized the Australian wines offered on wine lists around the city and lining retail shelves were severely lacking. Sure, the big box names were there and Australia was being represented, but the smaller growers - the wineries farming consciously and making wines by hand - were nowhere to be found. Being passionate about the food and wine scene in Australia and the States, he aimed to change the tide.
Starting in 2014 with a handful of new wineries in tow, he and partner, Tom Donegan, hit the pavement and started showing US buyers these amazing small production, family owned wineries. Nearly 8 years later, we continue to focus on wineries which are family owned, and in more cases than not, the owner is also the winemaker. Also very important to us is sustainable or organic viticulture, minimal intervention in the winery, and wines true to variety and place, along with employers who care about their employees and offer an inclusive workplace. We are pleased to offer bottlings from the majority of the great winegrowing regions of Australia, and we are fortunate enough to have a very balanced portfolio of iconic producers - wineries who have been farming and/or making wine for multiple generations - to younger winemakers who are pushing the boundaries in this ever evolving wine world. Whatever style of wine you are enjoying these days, we hope you are able to find something in our portfolio that pleases your palate. Cheers!
OUR TEAM
Henry Hudson
Owner / West Coast Sales
JD Wagoner
East Coast Sales
While Henry's background has primarily been in the supply chain and manufacturing sectors, he has always been a passionate supporter of the Australian food and wine scene. Having previously relocated to the US, he has set out to share this passion for premium regional Australian wines with the US wine drinker. He leads HWB in a focused approach to ensuring these great wines are available in a range of targeted markets, providing the avid wine consumers access to the current Australian wine scene. Being now based between Los Angeles and Sydney, he is in regular contact with our winemakers as well as our initial base of loyal supporters in LA.
Based in NYC, JD manages sales for the US East Coast and part of the Central Region. After running multiple award-winning beverage programs in Georgia and Florida, he joined Florida's Augustan Wine Imports in 2017. As fate would have it, JD met Henry while working the market together showcasing the wines of HWB in the summer of 2018. Currently residing in Brooklyn, you can find him drinking riesling and chilled reds while most likely eating heavy amounts of carbs. Aside from wine, JD is passionate about cooking for friends, spending time with his fiance, Emily, and being a cat dad. He also vigorously cheers for the UGA Bulldogs in college football. GO DAWGS!