Kelly (KP) Pearson

Travel & Tourism

Australia

Kelly Pearson is the founder, winemaker and owner of Ladygarden Wines, a Geelong-based wine business built around celebrating women in wine. Based in Newtown, Victoria, Kelly personally makes the majority of Ladygarden's wines using fruit from growers across Victoria and South Australia, and the business works with an annual curated selection of women winemakers from around Australia whose wines are released under the Ladygarden label. An alumna of the University of Adelaide, Kelly says she has more than 28 years of experience in the wine industry.

Much of Kelly's focus is on giving back to the wine community. Ladygarden's stated goals include scholarships for women studying viticulture and winemaking, internships and work experience, and business and sales support. The brand has served as the official Partner in Wine at the Australian Women in Music Awards, and Kelly represented Ladygarden for Australia on a sustainability panel at the Women in Wine Expo 2024 in Porto.

Kelly describes starting a whole new career in her 30s and, roughly 20 years on, moving into a second business. She has outlined a next phase for Ladygarden that includes a survey into how women engage with wine, exploring what builds confidence, what creates barriers, and how to make wine more approachable, inclusive and enjoyable.