James
Owner, Winemaker and Winegrower
James Sweetapple is the heart and hands behind Cargo Road Wines. He arrived at Cargo Road in 1997, joining one of the Orange region’s oldest vineyards, and over the past 29 years has carefully grown it into a 16 hectare site producing cool climate wines with clarity, structure and a strong sense of place.
His approach is grounded in patience and stewardship, nurturing soils, managing canopy and undergrowth, and tending the vines year round. Today, more than 22,000 vines grow in the vineyard’s deep red basalt and clay loam soils.
For James, great wine begins in the vineyard. This land led philosophy led Cargo Road Wines to become the first winery in Australia and the world to achieve Ecological Outcome Verification, an independent measure of real ecological health over time.
Visitors often meet James in the vineyard or at cellar door, where his generosity of knowledge and genuine care for the land are unmistakable. His sons also work alongside him, continuing a multi generational connection to this place.
Kathryn
Cellar Door and Marketing Manager
Kathryn joined Cargo Road Wines to bring clarity, cohesion and warmth to the way the brand is experienced, both on site and beyond the vineyard. With a background in retail, brand building and customer experience, her role spans cellar door operations, branding, marketing and the overall presentation of Cargo Road Wines.
Working closely with James, Kathryn helps translate the care and integrity of the farming into a customer experience that feels approachable, thoughtful and grounded. From cellar door flow and tastings to visual identity, storytelling and digital presence, her focus is on ensuring the way Cargo Road Wines is shared feels as considered as the way it is grown.
Kathryn’s role is about connection. Connecting people to place, to wine and to the values that sit behind every bottle.
Mina
Mina is James’ loyal sidekick and the quiet constant at Cargo Road. A kelpie through and through, she spends her days moving between vineyard rows, keeping watch over the land and greeting visitors as they arrive.
You’ll often find her padding along behind James in the vines or curled up nearby at cellar door. Calm, observant and always close by, Mina is part of the rhythm of daily life at Cargo Road and a small but meaningful reminder that this place is cared for, lived in and deeply connected to the land.
Catie
Vineyard & Farm Hand
Catie has been part of the Cargo Road team for the past two years, working closely with James across the land and with the sheep.
From moving flocks between paddocks to tracking down the occasional escapee, she’s hands on with the daily rhythms of the farm and whatever the land needs on any given day.
Practical, reliable and deeply connected to the place, Catie plays a quiet but essential role in keeping everything moving smoothly behind the scenes at Cargo Road.