Archive for May 25th, 2009

“This is an immersion course for the best and brightest international wine talent. A wonderful opportunity to develop a deep understanding of Australian Wine.” - Michael Hill Smith AM MW - Shaw and Smith

The inaugural Landmark Australia Tutorial 2009 is a celebration of Australia’s past, present and future regionally distinct and fine wines. During the first week of June, 12 selected participants will be flown to The Louise in the Barossa Valley where they will be guided through a challenging five day wine experience by some of the country’s leading commentators and expert winemakers.

Click here for the Landmark Australia Tutorial Schedule

The all-expenses-paid Tutorial is open to applicants from around the world and will showcase an uncompromising array of wines including rarities and classics such as Penfolds Bin 60A and the original Maurice O’Shea’s, as well as more contemporary style leaders such as Domaine A and Bindi.

Tutors Dr Tony Jordan, Mr Andrew Caillard MW and Mr Michael Hill Smith AM MW, will direct the course and represent an authoritative and yet highly contemporary Australian viewpoint. In addition, such luminaries as James Halliday and Brian Croser will be on-hand to discuss highlighted varietal styles, the origins of classic expressions and international benchmarks, and on to new areas of winemaking interest that will undoubtedly define Australia’s future landscape.

This is an unrivalled opportunity to experience Australia’s great wines with an accompanying expert narrative that will frame the wines, the estates and the regions as never before.

Executive Committee

• Andrew Caillard MW, Langton’s Fine Wines (Tutor)
• Michael Hill Smith AM MW, Co-proprietor Shaw and Smith (Tutor)
• Dr Tony Jordan, Consultant (Tutor)
• Marc Allgrove, Chief Executive Officer, Chapel Hill
• Lucy Anderson, Manager - International Marketing and Communications, Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (Project Manager)
• Peter R. Gago, Chief Winemaker, Penfolds
• Gordon Gebbie, Commercial Director, Rathbone Wine Group
• Paul Henry, General Manager Market Development, Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (Chair)
• Robert W. Hill Smith, Proprietor/Vigneron, Yalumba Wine Company

Tutors

Max Allen
Max is one of Australia’s most exciting wine writers.  Born in England, he fell passionately in love with wine while on holiday in Australia – so much so that he moved here in 1992. Since then he has worked in almost every facet of the wine industry, from the winery floor to the bottle shop counter.

Max writes for The Weekend Australian Magazine, and G (Australia’s first ‘green lifestyle’ magazine) and is also wine editor for Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. Max is the wine columnist for Olive magazine in the UK, and a regular contributor to Wine and Spirits in the USA. He is the author of numerous books including Crush: the New Australian Wine Book and Sniff, Swirl and Slurp.  Over the last fifteen years, he has been an enthusiastic - if rather sceptical - judge at various Australian wine shows; he is currently Chief Judge of both the Innovative Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show in Mildura and the Organic Wine Show in Sydney.

Andrew Caillard MW*
Andrew is a specialist wine auctioneer and co-founder of Langton’s Fine Wine Auctions – Australia’s leading wine auction house and publisher of the highly influential Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine. He heads up Langton’s Sydney and works extensively in research, valuation and analysis of the secondary Australian fine wine market. Andrew’s observations and interpretation of the Australian wine investment and ultra-fine wine market are renowned. Langton’s was early to recognise and articulate the importance of identity, individual winemaking philosophy and regional definition within the context of Australian fine wine. It is quoted and used extensively by media, the Australian wine industry and wine trade organisations.

Ed Carr

Ed is Australia’s most awarded sparkling winemaker who has long held the belief that Australia can produce sparkling wines equal to the world’s best.  Ed began his career in 1977 as a Microbiologist, and was appointed Assistant Winemaker in 1984. Ed was appointed Group Sparkling Winemaker at Constellation Wines Australia in 1994, and continues in this position today.

Tom Carson
Tom graduated from Oenology at Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1991 and remained in South Australia for the 1991 and 1992 vintages working with Knappstein Wines in the Clare Valley.  In September 1992, Tom travelled to Burgundy for the first of two consecutive vintages. This experience in France complimented Tom’s technical training in Australia. Returning to Australia in between vintages, Tom was employed at Coldstream Hills as assistant winemaker to James Halliday for the 1993 and 1994 vintages. In mid 1996, after two vintages at Yarra Edge Vineyard, the opportunity to work for Yering Station came to fruition and Tom was at the helm of Yering Station for 12 years.  Tom was awarded ‘International Winemaker of the Year’ and ‘Australian Winemaker of the Year’ in 2004 at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London. Tom is now the youngest Chairman ever at The National Wine Show, Canberra and Panel Chair at The Royal Sydney Wine Show.  In 2008 Tom joined the highly regarded Yabby Lake and Heathcote Estate team as General Manager and Chief Winemaker.

Brian Croser AO
Brian has been an innovator in the Australian wine industry for 35 years.  He pioneered the development of the Adelaide Hills viticultural region, planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and establishing the Petaluma winery in the Piccadilly Valley from 1978 and Shiraz and Viognier at Mt Barker from the early 90’s. Educated at the University of Adelaide, of which he was Deputy Chancellor for 8 years, and at the University of California at Davis, Croser was involved in the establishment of the Charles Sturt Wine Science degree in Wagga Wagga and in the establishment of most of the existing Australian wine industry institutions through the 1970’s and 80’s.  Croser has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contribution to research and education and for service to the Australian wine industry. He has Chaired many captial city wine shows and has received numerous awards for service to the Australian wine industry including the prestigious Maurice O’Shea award, an Honorary Doctorate from Charles Sturt University and most recently he was made a Doctor of the University of Adelaide in July of 2007.

Vanya Cullen
Vanya has been responsible for winemaking at her family’s Wilyabrup winery since 1989. During that time she has been rigorously experimenting in the vineyard (especially with soil and trellis management) and in the winery all the while looking to give her wines greater complexity. Her palate has been honed by judging throughout Australia and overseas, and by
her continuous pursuit of a thorough knowledge of the wines of the world. Cullen Wines is Certified “A” Grade Biodynamic with Australian Certified Organic (ACO) through the Biological Farmers Association (BFA). Exemplary viticulture lies at the heart of her success but so, too, do care and thorough attention to detail in the winery.

Vanya Cullen was the winner of the 2000 Qantas/The Wine Magazine Winemaker of the year. Vanya sits on the Qantas Taste Panel and has judged at wine shows in every major city in Australia. In May 2008, she was awarded the UK Drinks Business Magazine “Woman of the Year 2008” for her commitment to the wine industry and for demonstrating that you can operate a successful business all while looking after the environment.

James Godfrey

James began his career in the wine industry in 1974 at Wynns Glenloth Winery at Reynella.  The following year he commenced the three-year Diploma in Oenology at Roseworthy, and over the period worked vintages with Tolley, Saxonvale and Wynns Coonawarra Estate.  His career at Seppeltsfield began in 1978 and he has just completed his 32nd consecutive vintage.  He has been a show judge for 25 years and has been a senior judge at Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale Wine Shows.

Jeffrey Grosset

Jeffrey has an immensely disciplined approach to winemaking that involves meticulous attention at every stage, from the choice of the very earth itself, to the fine tuning during pressing and fermentation. He played a leading role in the quest to improve the closure of wine bottles, has contributed to the debate on terroir in Australia and has received many accolades including being voted the Inaugural Wine Magazine Australian Winemaker of the Year and International Riesling Winemaker of the Year at the Riesling Summit II, Hamburg, both in 1998.
Jeffrey Grosset

 James Halliday

James is considered Australia’s most respected wine critic and has contributed to more than 55 books on wine since he began writing in 1979.  His books have been translated into many languages and have been published in the UK, the US, as well as Australia.
James is the most senior and active wine judge in Australia (from 1977-2009), he also judges regularly in New Zealand, the UK, South Africa and less frequently in Europe and the US.

James writes a weekly wine column for The Weekend Australian newspaper and over the decades has written for many Australian and overseas magazines; currently Gourmet Traveller Wine and numerous others.

Winner of the Charles Heidsieck Award for Excellence in Wine Journalism 1983.  In 1993 he was joint winner (with Hugh Johnson) of the James Beard Award and Clicquot Award, runner up of the Glenfiddich Award (for Art and Science of Wine).  Other awards include: Wine Spectator Book of theYear; 1994 IACP/Julia Child Award for Best Wine; Spirits or Beer Book (USA); winner James Beard Award 1994 for Wine Atlas of California; Wine Literary Award (San Francisco) 2002 for the Wine Atlas of California; Saltram Wine Communicator Award 2005 for the 2006 Wine Companion, and Louis Roederer International Wine Book of the Year 2007 for the Wine Atlas of Australia.

James gained hands-on viticulture and winemaking experience at Brokenwood (1973-1983); and Coldstream Hills (1985-1996), Bordeaux (1979) and Burgundy (1983).

Michael Hill Smith AM MW*
In 1988 Michael became the first Australian to pass the rigorous Master of Wine examination and was awarded the Madame Bollinger Tasting Medal. Michael is a wine producer, international wine judge, wine consultant, wine writer and lapsed restaurateur. In 2008 he was awarded an Order of  Australia (AM) for his contribution to the Australian Wine Industry. In 1989 Michael and his cousin Martin Shaw formed Shaw and Smith, which specialises in regional Adelaide Hills wine styles and was listed as one of the world’s Top 100 Wineries in Wine and Spirits Magazine (USA) in 2005. He was a nominee in the Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine Winemaker of the Year 2006.  Michael has had extensive tasting experience at Australian and international wine shows.

Dr Tony Jordan*
Tony is consultant to the global wineries of the Estates and Wines group within Moët Hennessy, as well as to other wine companies. He assumed his current roles in mid-2008 after 21 years with the Moët Hennessy group. Commencing as Managing Director/Winemaker for Domaine Chandon Australia in 1987, the role was expanded to consulting on winemaking to the Chandon wineries worldwide in the 1990s. Tony then became CEO of Domaine Chandon Australia, Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay NZ in 2003. Tony’s early career included being a research scientist in chemical physics, lecturer at Charles Sturt University (where he was involved in establishing the Wine Science course) and managing partner in Oenotec, a worldwide winemaking consultancy. Tony is a senior judge at various Australian and international wine shows. He is a past President of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology and the Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association.

Robert Mann

The grandson of Jack Mann MBE – a legendary innovator and character of the Australian wine industry, Robert completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science majoring in Oenology at the University of Adelaide and has crafted wines at various wineries throughout Australia, Italy and California.
Robert heads up the winemaking team at Cape Mentelle and is responsible for the ongoing development of the wine portfolio, ensuring it continues to be at the leading edge of quality and style.

Stephen Pannell
Stephen grew up in the wine industry as a member of the family which founded Moss Wood in 1967.  Stephen’s extensive knowledge and experience has been garnered over the years from his work with many of Australia’s best wineries.  Stephen’s Australian credentials include Seppelts Great Western, Wirra Wirra, Hardy’s Tintara and BRL Hardy Wine Company where he was the chief red winemaker from 1999 to 2003. During this time he won ‘Winemaker of the Year’ at the International Wine Challenge in London, the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, and the Max Schubert Trophy twice at the Adelaide Wine Show.  Stephen was also listed as one of the 50 most influential contributors to the world of wine by Decanter Magazine.  In addition to establishing his own label, Stephen has a wine consulting business with clients in Australia, Argentina, UK and Spain.

Iain Riggs
Iain graduated with honours from Roseworthy College in 1975 and first worked at Bleasedale and Hazelmere in McLaren Vale. At Hazelmere, he sparked his interest in varietal blending and was one of the pioneers of the now-famous combination of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. In 1982, Iain moved to Brokenwood (Hunter Valley) as Chief Winemaker and his skills in white winemaking revolutionised Brokenwood. Iain is a regular show judge for capital city and international wine shows. In 2003 Iain was also awarded the Graham Gregory Trophy for outstanding service to the NSW Wine Industry.  Iain was made Chairman of Judges, Sydney Royal Wine Show from 2009 and Trustee and Tutor of the Len Evans Tutorial since 2001.

Louisa Rose
Louisa grew up and was educated in Melbourne, Australia, spending weekends in the popular wine region Yarra Valley, helping to establish and run the family vineyard. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in physics, from Melbourne University, she relocated to Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia to study winemaking, and graduated as Dux in 1992.  Louisa served her apprenticeship at Yalumba making sparkling wines, and later assumed responsibility for the flagship sparkling Yalumba D in 1995, and shortly after, Yalumba white wines. Louisa was appointed Chief winemaker in 2006 and has received widespread recognition for her pioneering work with the variety Viognier. Louisa is heavily involved in judging at Australian and International Wine Shows, and in 1999 was named Barossa Winemaker of the Year and in 2004 was winner of the prestigious Women in Wine Award at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London.  Most recently in October 2008 Louisa was named ‘Winemaker of the Year’ by the prestigious Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine.

*present throughout the Landmark Australia Tutorial