Portavin was established by Mike Davies in 1989 in Western Australia as a mobile bottling business to service the state’s rapidly expanding wine industry. By 1990 the concept was sufficiently proven to justify establishing sites in Melbourne, Victoria and in 1994 the same in Adelaide, South Australia.

In 2001, Portavin established its first static bottling hall and warehouse complex in Margaret River.  It also purchased a 3.6 hectare light industrial site at Hope Valley, 35 kilometres south of the Perth CBD which, has been transformed into a wine services centre providing bottling, warehousing (bulk and packaged wine) and laboratory services. In addition, Portavin exclusively warehouse and distribute Amcor wine glass and Stelvin screw caps.

Portavin Melbourne and Portavin SA set up static bottling sites in 2002 and 2004 respectively. 

Portavin Melbourne, based in the suburb of Cheltenham on a 20 000 sqM site, operates two bottling lines (1 x 5000bottles per hour – specialising in PET packaging - and 1 x 7000bph).

Portavin SA also operates two bottling lines (3000bph & 7000bph) on a 16 000sqM site in Port Adelaide.

All Portavin static enterprises offer an integrated wine bottling service including bulk wine receival, blending, finishing, bottling, full quality assurance and analysis, dry goods supply, warehousing, distribution and export services.

In 2009, Portavin established an operation in Penrose, south of Auckland with good proximity to freight hubs, glass production and 3rd party warehousing service providers.  Portavin has supply contracts with producers of glass, screw caps, fibre products and other dry goods and supplies these products to bottling and external clients.

All mobile bottling lines in SA and Victoria have now been sold and today Portavin owns and operates two mobile bottling lines based in Western Australia, as well as five static lines.  To date, Portavin is Australasia’s largest independent wine services supplier.

Our vision is for Portavin to be the leader in the provision of wine services by focusing on our customers, our people, growth, innovation and efficiency.

We recognise that the four most important drivers for our customers are cost, quality, maintaining control and ease of doing business with Portavin.

Our management philosophy is to carry out our vision by people being responsive, innovative, precise and accurate, growth orientated and safe and respectful on a human level all of which underwrites our relevance to our customers.

At our core, we are winemakers working for winemakers to care for their wine from tank to shelf. These traits embody our description of our business as an ‘Integrated Wine Service’.

Portavin is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, contractors and visitors. Portavin works towards continual improvement in OH&S through safety awareness, implementing and reviewing safe system, as well as recording and analysing hazards, incidents and accidents.

Two way communication is achieved between staff and management through regular safety committee meetings. All managers, supervisors and safety committee members undertake a “Managing OH&S” course to help raise awareness of their roles and responsibilities in ensuring a safe workplace.

Mike Davies – Founder and Executive Chairman
Mike graduated from Roseworthy Agricultural College with a degree in Winemaking in 1984.  As part of his degree, he wrote a thesis on mobile bottling and this was the inspiration behind and starting point for Portavin, Australia’s first mobile bottling line.

Mike held a number of winemaking positions in McLaren Vale, Mildura, Coonawarra and Margaret River before starting Portavin as a mobile bottling company in 1989 in Western Australia. 

The company has since grown to operate five static bottling sites and two mobile lines, to become Australasia's largest independent wine services provider.

Kym Hooper - Foundation Partner and Non-Executive Director
Kym Hooper is a Foundation Partner of the Portavin business and has supported the management team from the very beginning.

Kym’s background is in agriculture and whilst he has maintained some of those interests, he has spent much of the last 15 years developing Cape Jaffa, his family owned and run winery on the Limestone Coast in SA.

Kym is actively involved in the strategic direction of Portavin.

Ian Matthews - Executive Director
Ian graduated from University of Western Australia in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science (Plant Physiology) with first class honours.   He completed a Graduate Diploma in Winemaking at Roseworthy College in 1987, where he met Mike Davies. 

After winemaking with Sandalford, Evans and Tate, Rouge Homme and Penfolds, Ian worked in wine sales with Berkmann Wine Cellars in London. He returned to Australia in 1990 and teamed up with Mike to launch Portavin into Victoria, initially as a mobile business, then a static line in 2002.  

Since the sale of the mobile business in 2007, Ian’s focus is now on development of PET bottling and wine technical support for the company

Tony Royal - Executive Director
Tony qualified in Oenology in 1982 where he met Mike Davies. 

After 14 years working in key winemaking roles at Southcorp and Mildara, he was Chief Executive Officer of Oeneo Australasia (previously Seguin Moreau Australia) for 8 years.  

In 2004 Tony joined the Portavin team and was instrumental in setting up Portavin's facility in Port Adelaide.

Peter Walker - Executive Director
Peter graduated from the Australian Maritime College, Launceston in 1986 with a Diploma of Applied Science. 

Just prior to joining Portavin in 1996,Peter was involved in fishing, aquaculture and food processing industries, in which he held a range of operational and managerial positions.

Since joining Portavin, Peter has been responsible for operational management, business development and key account management of the Western Australian business.

Gerlinde Watson - Group Chief Financial Officer
Gerlinde graduated from Roseworthy Agricultural College as dux of her Associate Diploma of Applied Science. After spending several years working in the equine industry, Gerlinde completed a Bachelor of Business (Accounting / Business Law).

Gerlinde spent three years as Marketing Operations Manager at the WA Turf Club.  The wine industry lured her to move to Margaret River, where she took the role of Business Manager with Xanadu Wines and oversaw its transition from a small family run winery to a listed company.

Gerlinde joined Portavin in 2001 as General Manager WA and played an integral role in the growth and expansion of Portavin from a mobile business through to the fully integrated wine services business it is today.  She assumed the role of CFO in March 2011.