Sebastian and Colleen Hardy are the founders of Living Roots, a winery in the regions surrounding both of their hometowns: the Finger Lakes of New York and the Adelaide Hills of South Australia.
Though it was founded in 2016, the Living Roots story can be traced to Thomas Hardy, Sebastian’s great-great-great grandfather, who immigrated from England in 1850 and planted some of the first vines in South Australia. Seb grew up around his dad’s vineyards in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills, and went on to pursue winemaking himself. He’s worked vintages in Australia, Austria, France, Italy and the US, and has a degree in Viticulture and Oenology from The University of Adelaide, with a six-month exchange at UC Davis during his studies.
Colleen grew up in Rochester, New York and has a degree in marketing from Michigan State University. Three years into a marketing career in Chicago, she was keen to get into the wine industry and pivoted. Colleen landed a position as a cellar hand for the 2014 vintage at Hardy’s Tintara Winery in South Australia before working for a small boutique winery in a hybrid marketing and cellarhand role.
Seb and Colleen started Living Roots in 2016 and split their time between South Australia and New York, doing two harvests each year and experimenting with a wide range of styles that highlight the natural strengths of each region. With sustainability at the forefront, Living Roots makes wines with varietal and regional expression, minimal inputs and maximum quality.