About Landmark Australia

Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010

A Landmark return for the Australian wine industry

Following the internationally acclaimed, inaugural 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial, Wine Australia is today announcing the 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial will take place in the Yarra Valley in September next year.

For the first time, Wine Australia is inviting applications from Australia’s leading wine professionals to join the best and brightest opinion leaders from around the world in the five-day tutorial.

The intensive course consists of a series of tastings and themed master classes charting the development of Australia’s fine wine credentials.

“We are searching for the next wave of leading wine professionals who will help shape an informed awareness and opportunity for Australia’s regionally distinct and fine wines in their respective markets,” Mr Henry says.

The first Landmark Australia Tutorial was held over five days in the Barossa Valley in June this year. More than 1,000 initial enquiries were received with 12 participants chosen from Australia’s key export markets including the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Japan and China.

Julia Harding MW, one of the UK participants from the first tutorial said, “The 2009 Landmark Australian Tutorial gave me more information to back up my belief that Australian wine is much more varied than most people think and also can be a lot more subtle than its stereotype.”

Some of the leading figures in the Australian wine industry have again confirmed their commitment and involvement in the tutorial such as Peter Gago, chief winemaker at Penfolds and Robert Hill Smith, proprietor and vigneron, the Yalumba Wine Company.

Next year’s tutorial will take place in the Yarra Valley which, like the Barossa Valley, is a renowned tourism destination and one of the key wine regions in Australia allowing Wine Australia to yet again showcase the regional diversity and ‘terroir’ of its wines to an international audience.

“Developing a shared understanding of Australian excellence in the fields of wine, food and tourism is critical to the evolution of our future success on the world stage,” Mr Henry said.

, , , , , , , , , ,

Channel 9’s Sumptuous: 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial

Channel 9’s Sumptuous TV which showcases the best food, wine and travel experiences in Australia, recently featured the 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial on its program.

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Bold Case for Australian Excellence

Media Release

Sunday May 31, 2009

Monday 1st June marks the wine industry’s most significant investment to date in telling Australia’s fine wine story to an international audience.  Aimed at celebrating Australian excellence not just in wine, but also in terms of food, hospitality and tourism, 12 of the world’s most influential wine media and educators will be hosted by Wine Australia in the Barossa Valley for five days, before travelling further afield on regional tours across South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia.

The inaugural Landmark Australia Tutorial will comprise more than 200 of Australia’s finest wines, presented by the country’s leading winemakers and commentators, and accompanied by an original series of seminars devised uniquely for the event.  Anticipated highlights include an ‘Historic’ masterclass featuring sought-after wines such as the 1954 Seppelt Great Western Hermitage K72 Shiraz, the first vintage of Penfolds Grange (1955) and an extremely rare 1955 Wynns Coonawarra Estate ‘Michael’ Hermitage.  A Slow Food/Slow Wine evening also promises to be an inspiring experience, showcasing the best of the Barossa’s local produce partnered with Australia’s new wave of alternative varietals and sustainably-grown wines.

Paul Henry, Wine Australia’s General Manager Market Development, commented: “The intention of the Landmark Australia Tutorial is to create a forum for people to discover and debate the voice of our top Australian wines.  It should serve as a rallying point for informed wine opinion, and aspires to be the most influential residential wine course in the world. It certainly promises to be the most authoritative and extensive exploration of Australian fine wine yet undertaken.”

The 248 wines chosen to articulate the Australian fine wine story were nominated in collaboration with the guest tutors for each masterclass, and are intended to capture a sense of Australia’s winemaking history, as well as to give an indication of Australia’s intended future direction in terms of style, varietal expression, technical development and regional signature.

“The world should be much more familiar with the contribution Australia can make as a producer of fine wine, and also as a leading exponent of exceptional cuisine, cutting edge hospitality and inspiring regional tourism,” Henry concluded.

Anyone around the world can watch and respond with their thoughts throughout the week, by contributing to Wine Australia’s blog or via Twitter (@winehero)

NOTES:
The Landmark Australia Tutorial will take place at The Louise in the Barossa, between June 1 and June 5 2009.

A complete schedule of the week’s masterclasses can be found online along with regularly updated postings of the wines tasted, dinner menus and interviews with the participants.

The inaugural Landmark Australia Tutorial participants are: Ms Essi Avellan MW (Finland), Mr Tyler Colman (United States), Mr Jamie Goode (United Kingdom), Julia Harding MW (United Kingdom), Ms Yukari Iwashiro (Japan), Mr Frank Kämmer MS (Germany), Ms Rebecca Leung (Hong Kong), Mr Dermot Nolan MW (Ireland), Mr Hwee Peng Lim CSW (Singapore), Ms Barbara Philip MW (Canada), Mr Sean Razee MS (United States), Ms Bell - Pei Tang (China)

The participants were required to apply to the Tutorial Executive Committee in writing last year, and were selected from over 130 formal applications.

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, winemakers and industry commentators will be on-hand as guest tutors to discuss highlighted varietal styles, the origins of classic expressions, and new areas of winemaking interest that will undoubtedly define Australia’s future landscape.  A full list of tutors is available online.

Wine Australia is the brand under which the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, a Government organisation established to provide strategic support to the Australian wine sector, delivers its international marketing programme.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Pursuit of Excellence

Landmark Australia refers to Australia’s regionally distinct and fine wine story: wines, vineyards and producers with an individual expression distinctly different from any other. To make such wines, every aspect of production, from where it is grown and when and how it is harvested through to the philosophy of the winemaker, needs to allow the character of the fruit, region and or site to show through.  The benefit of such an approach can only serve to deepen the appreciation of Australian wine, and in many senses it is the next logical step and the timely extension of our existing story.

In 1989 Hugh Johnson wrote in The Story of Wine that “Australia is the France of the southern hemisphere: there seems to be no limit to her potential (enormously reinforced by modern technology) for producing ideally-balanced, delicate wine very much in the French style (though with original touches of her own). But potential alone has never been enough. Fine wine has only been made at moments in history when the market has asked for it.”

Wine Australia hosts a number of tastings around the world to showcase some of Australia’s best wines. None of these tastings have a finite list, however each tasting does have an audience of high-profile trade and media keenly debating not IF Australia makes great wines, rather what their top 20 would be. This is a debate that has only just begun, and it is as exciting to witness as it is rewarding to participate in.

Landmark Australia is not just a list of impressive wines aimed at refreshing Australia’s market position; it is the conclusive and sustaining part of Australia’s wine story that needs to be told.

, , , , ,