A Trusted Learning and Development Advisor
A Trusted Learning and Development Advisor
Strengthening the workplace behaviours behind the wine so every guest receives the best possible experience.
Leconfield Wines Pty Ltd brings together two wineries with deep family roots: Richard Hamilton Wines in McLaren Vale and Leconfield Wines in Coonawarra. All winemaking takes place in Coonawarra, while most administration, sales and marketing is based in McLaren Vale. The business has vineyards and cellar doors in both regions.
The Hamilton family is one of South Australia’s first winemaking families. In [1837], Richard Hamilton travelled from Dover in the UK to Adelaide with his wife and family, and soon planted vines “for the health of the family” south of Adelaide. In 1972, his great-great-great grandson, plastic surgeon Dr Richard Hamilton, established a small winery in McLaren Vale under the guidance of his father, Burton, and his uncle, Sydney. Two years later, in 1974, Sydney bought land in Coonawarra and established Leconfield Wines.
For Leconfield, a great visitor experience is about more than the wine. Every welcome, conversation and hand-over shapes how people remember their visit, and the business wanted to make sure its people were working consistently with one another and with every guest.
Good teams can still develop habits that get in the way. Small communication issues become normal, difficult conversations get avoided and expectations are interpreted differently. In a visitor-focused business, these internal behaviours can eventually be noticed by guests. The aim was not to overhaul the culture or introduce a long list of new rules, but to identify the behaviours helping the team and draw a clearer line around those that weren't.
In September 2026, Preferred Training Networks developed and delivered Making a Line in the Sand for Leconfield Wines. The program brought together people from across the business, including cellar door, vineyard, production, finance and management roles, and focused on practical workplace behaviours and the conversations that support a positive working environment.
Participant feedback showed the session prompted useful reflection and practical change. Participants identified clear intentions for how they would work differently, and evaluations showed increases in confidence using the skills discussed, with several recording noticeable improvements between their before and after ratings.
The program recognised that workplace culture is created through repeated small behaviours rather than statements on a wall.
Key elements of the approach included:
For Leconfield, the behaviours discussed in the session connect directly to how guests experience a visit. When staff communicate well, support one another and deal with issues constructively, they are better placed to offer the relaxed, welcoming experience the business is known for. Good service at the cellar door starts with how people work together behind the scenes, across the vineyard, the winery, the office and the tasting room.
The session was designed to move ideas out of the training room and into everyday work.
Participants identified intentions to:
The emphasis was not on rules. It was on everyday behaviours that make work easier for colleagues and visits better for guests.
Evaluations showed increases in participants' confidence using the skills discussed, with several recording noticeable before-and-after improvements.
Participants left with specific intentions, from listening more attentively to managing conflict more objectively.
Participants described the session as engaging, practical and well needed in their workplace.
David is an excellent training facilitator. He took the time to adapt examples that we could really relate to. He is an EXCELLENT listener! And he is really good at picking apart what individuals say (in a good way) and applying the training to situations we bring forward. As someone who rarely feels comfortable speaking up in a situation like this, his approach was very much appreciated.
Preferred Training Network developed a coaching training package that really met our needs and they made the contextualizing process so easy. Their customer service before and after was excellent and their trainer was refreshing and innovative and really knew his stuff. A pleasure to do business with.
Aligns with recognising helpful and unhelpful behaviours and drawing a clearer line around them.
Aligns with approaching conflict calmly and objectively.
Aligns with raising issues before frustration builds.
Aligns with connecting internal behaviours to the visitor experience.
Great customer experiences start with how teams work together behind the scenes. Preferred Training Networks develops customised workplace training programs around the situations your staff actually face, from open communication and clear expectations to managing conflict constructively.
