The Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010

The future of Australia’s wine industry rests on its ability to promote its fine wine credentials to the world, according to one of the country’s most respected commentators.

 

Speaking at the conclusion of the 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial in the Yarra Valley, James Halliday, AM, said the industry to date had not relied on “fine wine” to promote itself internationally and this was crucial to its success going forward.

 

Wine Australia’s 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial brought together 14 of the world’s most influential wine experts and educators, who undertook a week of tasting and masterclasses with a view to prompting a new sense of international recognition and acclaim for Australian wine.

 

The event showcased more than 230 wines from across the country in 16 themed sessions presented by leading figures in the industry, with the aim of changing international perceptions of Australian fine wine.

 

“The Australian wine industry has worked hard to get where it is today, but we all know it is currently facing a range of issues,” Mr Halliday, AM, said.

 

“We must not give up on those export markets we have cultivated and it is also of vital importance that events such as the Landmark Australia Tutorial continues.  Promoting our fine wine segment is the way to go.”

 

2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial participantsThe participants at this year’s Landmark Australia Tutorial hailed from a range of key markets, including the UK, Canada, United States, Denmark, Germany, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and - for the first time - Australia.

 

During the event, participants tasted approximately 268 years’ of vintage, more than $40,000* worth of Australian wine and were educated by 22 winemakers and presenters.

 

UK participant and international wine judge, Sarah Ahmed, said Landmark provided an exciting opportunity to review the varied landscape that is Australian wine “in all its glory”. 

 

“The bold classics upon which Australia forged its reputation and which have been, and remain, very effective ambassadors for Australia, but also an emerging generation of “quiet” wines.  We listened, we tasted and we savoured the diversity, the individuality and boldness of vision which mark out the wines of its finest regions and makers,” she concluded.

 

Thomas Woolrych, from Direct Wines in the United Kingdom, echoed the view that the Landmark Australia Tutorial captured the imagination of 14 individuals from around the world.

 

“The Australian wine industry is still working its way through its fine wine proposition, and this event is an ideal way to promote the best of the best,” he said.

 

Wine Australia General Manager Market Development Paul Henry said the objective of the Landmark Australia Tutorial was to create new insights and opportunities for Australia’s fine wine segment, thereby creating positive momentum for the whole of the category’s positioning and reputation.

 

“The aim of the Landmark Australia Tutorial is to positively engage a new generation of international wine influencers, and provoke new opinions about Australia wine,” he said.

 

“This event is a substantial and vital investment by Wine Australia and the broader wine industry towards reshaping the way the world views Australia’s fine wines.

 

“We have had tremendous support from industry representatives who gave their time to attend the event, as well as selecting some of Australia’s most historic and best wines for tasting. For an exercise dedicated to fine wine and excellence, it has still displayed the Australian hallmarks of collegiate endeavour and camaraderie.”

 

 

 

The Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010 has been made possible by the generous support of Wine Australia’s Export Partners – OI, Amcor Australasia, JFHillebrand, Collotype Labels and Qantas, as well as additional support from Riedel, the State Government of Victoria, Yarra Valley Australia and Daylesford and Hepburn Mineral Springs Company.

 

*retail value of wine as sourced by Langton’s

 

Please click here to download an overview of the Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010.

 

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A selection of some of Australia’s most historic – and valuable – wine will be showcased this week during the Landmark Australia Tutorial.

In one masterclass alone, wines to the value of $40,000* will be presented to 14 of the world’s most influential wine educators and media.

The historic masterclass will draw together an extraordinary and historical line-up of Australia’s best, across a range of vintages and releases, with the wines being unveiled on the day.

The Landmark Australia Tutorial, managed by Wine Australia, consists of a series of tastings and masterclasses charting the development of Australia’s fine wine story.

The five-day event will showcase more than 230 wines from across the country in 16 themed sessions presented by leading figures in the Australian wine industry, including Michael Hill-Smith AM MW, Tim Kirk, Jeffrey Grosset, James Halliday AM, and Andrew Caillard MW to name a few.

Wine Australia General Manager Market Development Paul Henry said the objective of the Landmark Australia Tutorial was to create new insights and opportunities for Australia’s fine wine segment.

“The Landmark Australia Tutorial was held for the first time last year and it served to positively engage a new generation of international wine influencers, and certainly provoked new opinions about Australia wine,” he said.

“This year we have an expanded group of participants from our key markets of the UK, Europe and US, as well as several guests from key emerging markets such as China, and two home-grown talents from Australia.

“This event is a substantial and vital investment in reshaping the way the world views Australia’s fine wines.”

During the week, participants will be taken on a journey of Australia’s fine wines, with masterclasses covering topics such as regional classics, sparkling, Semillon, Shiraz, blends, Riesling and Chardonnay.

“We have had tremendous support from industry representatives who have given their time to attend the event, as well as selecting some of Australia’s most historic and best wines for tasting,” Mr Henry said.

“Not only does the Landmark Australia Tutorial showcase some of our best wines, it also highlights local stories, winemakers and produce, and this year a selection of Yarra Valley restaurants and wineries will be involved in the event.

“Landmark also puts the spotlight on key tourism regions, with the participants travelling to other wine regions around Australia before and after Landmark, making it a genuine celebration of the best Australia has to offer.”

The Landmark Australia Tutorial takes place from the 20th – 24th September in the Yarra Valley. Visit www.wineaustralia.com/landmark for more details and remember to use ##LAT10 and #apluswine when tweeting during the event.

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The 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial will be held in the Yarra Valley from Monday September 20 – Friday September 24, 2010, and will build on the success of last year’s inaugural event, with an expanded group of participants invited to experience our finest regional wines. The 14 participants are renowned wine educators and media from the UK, Canada, the United States, Denmark, Germany, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan and Australia.

The tutorial will run over five days and will provide participants with the opportunity to taste more than 200 wines from across the county in 16 themed sessions, presented by leading winemakers from regions as diverse as Tasmania, Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley, Margaret River, Coonawarra, Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley, Clare Valley, Canberra, Mornington Peninsula and Rutherglen.

Wine Australia’s General Manager Market Development, Paul Henry, said the focus of the Landmark Australia Tutorial was to capture the interest and support of the next wave of international wine opinion leaders, and to become the most extensive exploration of Australia’s fine wine story yet undertaken. 

“The importance of addressing the image of Australian wine as a whole is well served by this program, and it is a critical part of Australia determining its own voice in the world of fine wine endeavour,” he said.

One of the selected 2010 Landmark Scholars, Lisa Perrotti-Brown said the Landmark Australia Tutorial was one of the best educational tools ever to be developed by any wine organisation in the world and she was very excited to be accepted to participate. 

“Ever a wine student as much as a wine educator and commentator myself, I’m looking forward to this valuable opportunity to better understand the development of traditional versus new wine styles from Australia’s wide range of regions, and the levels of quality and ageability that have been and are now being achieved,” she said.

The Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010 has been made possible by the generous support of Wine Australia’s Export Partners – OI, Amcor Australasia, JFHillebrand, Collotype Labels and Qantas, as well as additional support from Riedel, the State Government of Victoria and Yarra Valley Australia.

For details, including the full-program of tastings and presenters, please visit www.wineaustralia.com/landmark, and please use #LAT10 when tweeting.

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The final masterclasses presented at the Landmark Australia Tutorial next week include:

Day Four: Pinot Noir presented by Tom Carson, Winemaker, Yabby Lake
A compelling masterclass demonstrating that Australian Pinot Noir can rival the very best in the world. Tasted blind, this is your chance to discover
the new benchmarks from regions such as Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley and Tasmania.

Day Four: Single Vineyards and Sacred Sites vs Blending presented by Brian Walsh, Director of Winemaking, Yalumba
The search for consistency or the pursuit of excellence? Single vineyard, regional and multiregional as winemaking choices in Australia. A
discussion about Australia’s finest wines and the philosophy that surrounds its production.

Day Five: Chardonnay presented by Steve Webber, Winemaker, De Bortoli
A tasting and discussion about how the influence of new clones, improved understanding of sites and winemaking
practices are now producing Australian Chardonnay’s that are among the best in the world.

Day Five: Fortified presented by Colin Campbell, Winemaker, Campbell Wines & Stephen Chambers, Winemaker, Chambers Rosewood Wines
From Rutherglen’s unique Muscat and Tokay,through to aged Tawnies and other classic styles from historic cellars. This inspiring tasting
will conclude the week in an authentic Australian fashion.

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Each week we are unveiling a selection of the masterclasses presented at the Landmark Australia Tutorial.  Day Three and Day Four highlights:

Day Three: Semillon presented by Andrew Thomas, Winemaker, Thomas Wines
Hunter Valley Semillon is often cited as Australia’s endearing contribution to the world of white wine styles.  A vertical of Semillon spanning a decade will uncover the idiosyncrasies of this unique expression joined by other regions in an exploration of complementary Australian styles.

Day Three: Cabernet Sauvignon and blends presented by Brian Croser, AO, Winemaker, Tapanappa Wines
A great wine is not just made; first it is conceived.  An introduction to a range of outstanding estate and regional expressions of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon (and blends), inviting contrasts and comparison with the great Cabernet terroirs of the world.

Day Three: An Historic Perspective presented by James Halliday and Andrew Caillard, MW, Fine Wine Principal Langton’s
Australia has been making fine wine for almost a century.  This masterclass will showcase the great wines of Australia, drawing together an extraordinary and historical line-up of Australia’s best, across a range of vintages and releases.

Day Four: Riesling presented by Jeffrey Grosset, Winemaker, Grosset Wines
A peerless Australian classic that is also finding some stylistic dimension with a new generation of winemakers and drinkers.  This masterclass will showcase a myriad of styles, from dry through to off-dry, and all with a unique Australian signature.

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The 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial in the Yarra Valley will build on the success of last year’s inaugural event, with an expanded group of participants heading to Australia from around the globe to experience our finest regional wine.
 
Participants will visit Australia from the UK, Canada, the United States, Denmark, Germany and emerging Asian markets of China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan.  In addition, two Australian participants will take part.
 
Each week we will be unveiling a selection of the masterclasses presented at the Landmark Australia Tutorial.  The first highlights are:
 
Day One: Australia’s Regional Classics presented by Michael Hill-Smith AM MW, winemaker Shaw & Smith
A context-setting narrative that explains the historic origin as well as the contemporary evolution of Australia’s finest wines.  Introducing bench-mark expressions of regional definition and excellence.
 
Day Two: Sparkling Wine presented by Ed Carr, Sparkling Winemaker and Dr Tony Jordan, Oenologist, Oenotech Pty. Ltd.
Some of the coolest sites on the Mainland and in Tasmania are defining the landscape for Australia’s premium sparking wines. A tasting of exceptional wines across many styles and regions will demonstrate the potential of this category to add to the acclaim for Australian fine wine.
 
Day Two: Shiraz presented by Tim Kirk
A variety that deserves greater recognition for its many accents and styles.  An exciting line-up of the country’s best, exploring varietal expression by region, as well as the added dimension of Shiraz-based blends.
 
Day Two: The Great Australian Blend presented by Charlie Melton
A sum greater than its parts. The well-known synergies that can come from blending different varieties are explored in this masterclass – from the classic expression of Australian Cabernet/Shiraz through to the ongoing evolution of Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre and beyond.

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This year’s Landmark Australia Tutorial in the Yarra Valley will build on the inaugural success with an expanded group of 14 participants.

The applications for the September 2010 experience were as keenly contested as the previous year, and reflected an increased awareness and interest from North and South-East Asia. China provides two participants from the mainland, plus one from Hong Kong, and there are two from Singapore and one from Japan.  Add to these two Australians, and just over half the participants are representative of the Asia-Pacific region.

New and emerging markets are not the only benefactors, however, with exciting representation from the US, UK, Germany and Denmark.  The successful applicants are:

• Ms Sarah Ahmed, freelance wine writer and educator, United Kingdom
• Ms Kim Bickley, sommelier, Hilton Hotel, Australia
• Ms Jessica Harnois, wine buyer/sommelier, SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec), Canada
• Mr Tony Love, wine writer, News Ltd. metropolitan newspapers, Australia
• Ms Karen MacNeil, chairman, Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, United States
• Mr Kenichi Ohashi, president, Yamajin Co. Ltd., Utsunomiya, Japan
• Ms Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Asian wine correspondent and reviewer, eRobertParker.com and The Wine Advocate, Singapore
• Ms Diwen Qiu, managing editor, “Wine in China” magazine, Singapore
• Dr Edward Ragg, wine writer, educator and consultant, Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting, China
• Mr Thomas Rydberg, wine writer and editor, Ekstra Bladet, Denmark
• Mr Joerg Sievers, editor, Weinwirtschaft, Meininger Publications, Germany
• Mr Simon Tam, wine journalist, educator and consultant, Independent Wine Centre, Hong Kong
• Ms Fongyee Walker, wine writer, educator and consultant, Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting, China
• Mr Thomas Woolrych, buying manager, Direct Wines, United Kingdom

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, on discovering she had been selected, said: “The Landmark Australia Tutorial is one of the best educational tools ever to be developed by any wine organisation in the world and I’m very excited to be accepted to participate.  Ever a wine student as much as a wine educator and commentator myself, I’m looking forward to this valuable opportunity to better understand the development of traditional versus new wine styles from Australia’s wide range of regions and the levels of quality and ageability that have been and are now being achieved.”

Wine Australia’s general manager market development, Paul Henry added: “The focus of the Tutorial remains to capture the interest and support of the next wave of international wine opinion leaders. The importance of addressing the image of Australian wine as a whole is well served by this program, and while it is delivered with a relatively small number of carefully selected wines (around 250), it capably displays the depth and range of Australia’s quality winemaking. Once again, a collaborative but uncompromised approach will demonstrate that Australia produces some of the best wines in the world.”

The Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010 will take place in the Yarra Valley from the 20 - 24 September. Click here to download the Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010 Schedule.

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Tutorial Wine List

Tutorial Wine List

What an amazing week!   248 wines, a couple of beers, not enough sleep, and here’s what the inaugural Landmark Australia Tutorial participants had to say:

  • How truly and clearly we see depends on our perspective.  And Landmark has given us a chance to gain an almost unparalleled perspective on the Australian fine wine dimension.  It is a brilliantly devised and near-perfectly executed course in which we’ve been able to access the distilled wisdom of some of the industry greats, while at the same time trying benchmark wines that are rarely, if ever, brought together in this context.  I’m profoundly grateful for the chance to participate in this thrilling exercise. – Jamie Goode, UK
  • It’s a wonderful program and I feel as if I learned more in five days than I would in 10 years in Japan! – Yukari Iwashiro, Japan
  • In spite of the (quite natural) differences in winemaking philosophy, the message from the industry representatives is clear: We are working together to make the best, most individual wines we can and we want the world to know.  The philosophical differences promote interesting discussions and resulting selection of diverse wine styles. – Barbara Philip MW, Canada
  • These days have expanded my horizon on Australian wines dramatically. – Frank Kämmer MS, Germany
  • I predict this to become the most sought-after tutorial in the wine world.  Being able to taste and discuss the best wines of Australia with a great number of its leading authorities and winemakers is a privilege.  This Tutorial has opened my eyes to the direction where top Australian wine is going.  - Essi Avellan MW, Finland
  • Really excellent – or “Ripper” in the vernacular.  The range of wines and consistency of quality is superb and the historic tasting was a once-in-a-life-time experience.  – Dermot Nolan MW, Ireland
  • The Landmark Australia Tutorial is a superb opportunity to learn about and taste through the diversity of Australian wine today–as well as excellent mature wines. The five days went by too fast! - Tyler Colman, Ph.D., USA
  • The Landmark Australia Tutorial has been a rare and exciting opportunity to discuss and reflect on the voice of Australian wine’s past, present and future. – Sean Razee MS, USA
  • This week has been an excellent learning process and provided a completely new perspective on Australian wines. – Bell Pei-Tang (China)
  • I enjoyed the Landmark Australia Tutorial tremendously as it was an absolutely eye-opening experience.  All the maserclasses were extremely well-organised and comprehensive, I have tasted many classical Australian fine wines and learnt so much from the experts.  This is surely a once-in-a-life-time experience. – Rebecca Leung, Hong Kong
  • The Landmark Australia Tutorial is an intense and focused wine program. The amount of information and exposure to the vast depth of Australian wines is tremendously beneficial to promoting and marketing Australian fine wines. From the encounter this week, it shows the seriousness of the Australian wine industry in reaching their intended objective, and it will be my pleasure to be of assistance to their efforts in Singapore and the region. - Mr Lim Hwee Peng, CSW
  • The opportunity to taste this range of high-quality, meticulously selected wines, and to be able to see the diversity and evolution of style and the specifics of regions thanks to the openness and knowledge and experience of the tutors and speakers, is exceptional. The only downside is that there’s just not enough time to taste the wines and reflect on them, though this is hardly unique to the Tutorial and underlines the fact there is so much to taste and see.” – Julia Harding MW, UK

The week concluded with a single positive affirmation: Australia has a diverse landscape within which a range of wine styles can find a distinctive and convincing expression.  Click here for a copy of the Landmark Australia Tutorial - Full Wine List and Overview.

Some of the 248 wines of the Landmark Australia Tutorial

Some of the 248 wines from the Landmark Australia Tutorial

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The presentation from the Landmark Tutorials by Michael Hill Smith on Australia’s Regional Classic wines. Enjoy… and of course we’d love your comments :-)

Australias Regional Classics Presentation

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Today was the first official day of the Landmark Australia Tutorial.  A chance for the 12 participants to warm-up and set their bearings for a fairly intensive four days ahead.  I met everyone at the Hyatt at 8:00am and ushered them onto our bus to head towards the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) for a discussion on the subjective nature of wine assessment, followed by a tasting that challenged their ability to consistently assign the same relative scores to a set of wines.

The tasting was set out in two brackets of 10 wines, Riesling then Shiraz, with repeat wines.  The participants were asked to give each wine a score out of 20.  (It’s suprising how much the wine you taste before can influence your assessment of the following wine, hence the point of the tasting.) The wines were then revealed and we discovered that wine 1 was the same as wine 3 and 8 in the Riesling bracket…but were everyones scores for these three wines the same?  Andrew Caillard MW did us proud, consistently giving each wine the same mark out of 20!

The tasting was a glimpse into what the AWRI run for the Australian industry on a regular basis, so our winemakers can hone their skills and become wine show judges, both in Australia and overseas.  We’ve worked with the AWRI over the last year to take the course of shore; Dublin in January and then a second course is due to take place in London on 29 June this year.  (email uk@wineaustralia.com to find out more)

Interestingly over the 12 years that the AWRI has been running the Advanced Wine Assessment Course, the top show judges consistently score their wines within +/- 0.5 of each other when using the 20 point system. 

awri_assessment