Our People

Our highly skilled operators are both oenological and cellar-operations qualified, combined with several years experience of operation. The operators are professional and happy to interact with the winemaker, conduct a sweet spot trial for alcohol correction, and assist with conducting sensory evalution.

Matthew Hooper

Managing Director

Location South Australia
Contact 0438 131 551
Email matthew@vafmemstar.com.au

Matthew Hooper has a strong commitment to the wine industry since his beginnings in 1998. Matthew started in the viticultural aspect of the wine industry and after two years, progressed into the winery. Gaining much experience working in South Africa at a number of prestigious estates, Matthew then moved to Australia, gaining invaluable international experience and exposure.

The growth of VAF in Australia since 2003 has made it the clear market leader in wine filtration services to the wine industry.

After the acquisition of Memstar by VA Filtration in 2013, Matthew became Managing Director of both companies, offering the best of both companies to Australian winemakers.

Vanessa Stockdale

Research & Development Manager

Location South Australia

As VAF Memstar’s research and development manager, Dr Vanessa Stockdale brings a wealth of expertise to the company. With extensive experience in the wine and beverage industry, she has worked as a Wine Technologist for leading producers, including E. & J. Gallo Winery, Accolade Wines, and Treasury Wine Estates. Her expertise lies in process optimisation, implementing new technologies, and crafting NOLO (low- and no-alcohol) wines for major winemaking companies.

Beyond her role at VAF, Vanessa is a director on the board of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO), where she has played a key role in establishing scholarships, seminars, and workshops to support the broader Australian wine industry.

With a deep passion for innovation, Vanessa is committed to enhancing winemaking processes – helping producers create wines that are not only of the highest quality but also appeal to a diverse range of consumers.

Jarrod Dunning

State Manager (Western Australia)

Location Western Australia
Contact 0416 753 109
Email jarrod@vafmemstar.com.au

Jarrod Dunning has been involved in the wine industry for over twelve years, actively developing a range of vital skills and valuable knowledge of the industry and important processes found within winemaking and handling.

Working at numerous prestigious Australian wineries, Jarrod expanded his skillset and gained an appreciation of the nuances found within different wine regions. Jarrod is passionate about the wine industry and is committed to delivering the highest quality results at Memstar and VA Filtration.

Ali McMillan

Operations Admin Manager

Location South Australia
Contact 0400 788 009
Email ali@vafmemstar.com.au

Ali McMillan started in the wine industry at a young age growing up in Marlborough, New Zealand and later moving to the Barossa Valley. Gaining experience in all sectors of the
industry from Vineyard and cellar to bottling and in the laboratory. Once arriving in the Barossa, Ali moved into the Administration side of the industry including Quality, OHS, Inventory and scheduling. Ali has been with VAF Memstar for over 7 years starting in a part-time coordinator role after having her son, now in a full-time role as our Operations/Admin Manager.

Les Shalhoub

Operations Supervisor

Location South Australia
Contact 0448 520 391
Email lshalhoub@vafmemstar.com.au

Les Shalhoub has been an active member of the wine industry for over 20 years. He started working in the industry in the Hunter Valley before spending seven years working in McLaren Vale. He has held roles working throughout the entire production cycle from vineyard to bottling and completed a vintage overseas. Les has a Diploma in Viticulture and a degree in wine science from Charles Sturt University. He has brought a wealth of experience to his role at VAF Memstar and has been with the company for over 10 years, starting as an operator and now Operations Supervisor of the South Australian team.

Xiaochen Wang

Maintenance Engineer

Location South Australia
Email xwang@vafmemstar.com.au

Xiaochen Wang is a mechanical engineer with a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Adelaide, specialising in fluid and structural mechanics, as well as project management. With 8 years of robust background in engineering fundamentals, she now serves as a maintenance engineer at VAF Memstar, where she is responsible for implementing and managing the centralised maintenance management system for the company’s wine filtration plants and distillation units. Xiaochen’s expertise in data analysis and problem-solving helps optimise equipment performance and minimise downtime.

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