If you were looking to make an impression and to build some serious currency into an important new relationship, then perhaps the world’s most exclusive golf resort is not a bad place to be. Pebble Beach, California welcomed Wine Australia to its hallowed greens for the inaugural Court of Master Sommeliers National Conference on January 20^th 2010, and while the weather was biblical in its profile, the Wine Australia team was in equally storming form. A Landmark Australia masterclass of 18 Shiraz, led by guest presenter and winemaker Stephen Pannell, and moderated by Wine Australia’s own Mark Davidson, was presented to 72 master sommeliers with a view to challenging assumptions about the range, style and evolution of Australia’s signature variety. At stake was the reputation and credibility of the category’s most recognized wine style in the eyes of the world’s most assiduously informed gatekeepers – the official, professional coterie of sommeliers.  

The masterclass comprised three chapters: an opening round of celebrated releases drawn from the decade of the 90s; a following flight of exemplary regional estates; and a closing round that questioned whether region or variety should be the dominant signature in Australian Shiraz’s best expressions. It would be fair to say that the expectation was to see an impressive but perhaps stylistically limited range of wines that were familiar rather than remarkable in their reach and ambition. What the Court discovered, however, under Pannell’s compelling narrative and challenging insight, was a range of stylistic excellence and diversity that was as unexpected as it was hitherto unexplored. Heathcote, Grampians and McLaren Vale all shone; the older wines dazzled with their apparent youth and delicacy, and a trinity of idiosyncratic stars from Clare, Canberra and Eden Valley threatened to steal the show. After two hours of examination and robust questioning of both the panel and the audience, the response was as emphatic: a unanimous and spontaneous standing ovation from the floor! 

Fred Dame, Chairman Emeritus, Court of Master Sommeliers and Director of Icon Estates, Constellation Wines US summed up the event as follows: ”You have achieved more in one day than any trade campaign has achieved in a decade. We are in the business of shaping the future of the wine and that is what you have successfully invested in today. No-one has reached deeper, harder or more thoughtfully than Wine Australia in making this happen. Congratulations!”  

Paul Henry of Wine Australia commented: “This was a tough and searching audience, and one that is not going to do you any favours just because you have gone to the effort of presenting. What was fascinating was to see the dawning realisation that Australian Shiraz can actually be a signature and not a caricature, as it has been portrayed in some markets. I sincerely believe that we have turned a corner with regards to a better understanding and appreciation of our potential with Shiraz and Shiraz blends.” 

Participant, Mr Lim Hwee Peng from Singapore, offered his reflection on the inaugural Landmark Australia Tutorial earlier this year: “Just when you thought you knew all about Australian wines, here is one program that smacks your assumption flat on the wall, with its diversity, finesse, huge potentials in fine winemaking, and watch this space pronouncement. It is hard to continue enjoying, talking or even buying Australian wines without looking at it from a new angle.”

How to Apply

Who should apply: The Tutorial is open to individuals with extensive experience in wine education, buying, selling or writing.   Applicants must possess an excellent knowledge of international wine styles and be fluent in English. Previous experience judging at wine shows will also be viewed favourably.

What you need to do: Write a detailed letter of application, addressed to the Tutorial executive committee, accompanied by your résumé and contact details of three industry referees. The letter of application should answer the following:

• How will the Tutorial benefit you in your current role?
• If successful, how could your participation in the Tutorial benefit the Australian wine sector? 

All applications should be emailed to landmark@wineaustralia.com on or before Thursday 31 December 2009.

Successful candidates will be notified in February 2010 and must be available to travel to Australia and participate in the Tutorial from Monday 20 to Friday 24 September 2010.

Executive Committee:

Marc Allgrove, chief executive Chapel Hill Wines
Lucy Anderson, manager – International Marketing and Communications, Wine Australia
Andrew Caillard, MW, Fine Wine Principal, Langton’s Wine Auctions Pty. Ltd.
Ben Edwards, consultant Sommelier, The Wine Guide and President, Sommeliers Australia
Peter Gago, chief winemaker, Penfolds
Paul Henry, general manager Market Development, Wine Australia
Robert Hill Smith, proprietor and vigneron, The Yalumba Wine Company
Dr Tony Jordan, Oenologist, Oenotec Pty Ltd

Songlines - Australia is at a turning point as it seeks to move on from its easy-going image of yesterday and celebrate its maturing legacy of fine and regionally distinct wines.

Australia is at a turning point as it seeks to move on from its easy-going image of yesterday and celebrate its maturing legacy of fine and regionally disctinct wines.

Like so many songlines coming together, this supplement aims to present a fresh insight into Australia, while conveying the excitement, passion and quality being delivered in the wines.

After a break of almost four years from touring Australia’s vineyards it was refreshing to return Down Under recently to catch up with the good and the great in Victoria. Refreshing not just because winter in Victoria’s high country is as chilly as any London winter’s day, but also because there is a palpable sense of a reinvigorated and renewed direction in the Australian wine industry. And, in many ways, the wines of Victoria perfectly encapsulate the messages that are coming out of Australia today.

The cool of winter is a great time to taste,with wines poised and palate fresh. At cellar door after cellar door, I was met by elegant, fresh Chardonnays, perfumed, sensual Pinot Noirs, spicier, intense, yet finely structured, Shirazes, and finally, warmed by the raisiny rich fortified wines of Rutherglen. Across regions and within, the wines spoke eloquently of climate, people and a sense of place, of terroir.

All this helped impress that Australia has been fine-tuning the way in which it presents itself to the world. Within this renewed focus, much emphasis is being placed on the highest quality wines, on Australia’s still evolving, but already Australia is at a turning point as it seeks to move on from its easy-going image of yesterday and celebrate its maturing legacy of fine and regionally distinct wines well defined, sense of regionality, with this year’s Landmark Australia Tutorial and Regional Heroes campaign as highlights of this move. It is precisely these themes that are examined in this supplement. Taking Victoria as a microcosm for Australia as a whole, we look at the quality of the fine wine offering, exploring both this and the maturity of Australia’s regionality through blind tasting, round-table debate and interviews with leading winemakers from Victoria and across the diverse states.

Elsewhere, we canvass opinion-formers in both the UK on and off-trades and invite feedback from those involved in the Regional Heroes promotion, also assessing how our retail and restaurant environments compare with the innovative wine scene in Victoria. This is topped off by interviews with wine critic James Halliday and Wine Australia’s Lisa McGovern for good measure.

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.

Tutorial: 20-24 September 2010
Applications Open: 18 September to 31 December 2009
Participants Announced: February 2010

Applications to the Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010 are invited from candidates with extensive wine experience in buying, selling or editorial decision making. Candidates must demonstrate how they have influenced their business across one or more of these decision making dimensions over the previous 2 years. Previous experience judging at wine shows will also be viewed favourably.

Applicants must also possess an excellent knowledge of international wine styles and be fluent in English.

To apply, please email your résumé accompanied by a detailed letter addressed to the Tutorial executive committee. The letter of application should answer the following:

• How will the Tutorial benefit you in your current role?
• If successful, how could your participation in the Tutorial benefit the Australian wine sector?
• Names and contact details of three industry referees must also be included, and sent to landmark@wineaustralia.com on or before Thursday 31 December 2009.

Successful candidates will be notified in February 2010 and must be available to travel to Australia and participate in the Tutorial from Monday 20 to Friday 24 September 2010.

Executive Committee 2010

We’re looking forward to recieving your applications.

L-R Yukari Iwashiro, Tyler Colman, Pei Tang, Barbara Philips, Sean Razee, Dermot Nolan, Rebecca Leung, Frank Kammer, Essi Avellan, Jamie Goode, Lim Hwee Peng, Julia Harding.

Below are just some of the comments made by the participants about the 2009 Landmark Australia Tutorial:

Once in a life time experience.  Also, the most luxurious and intense way to learn Australian premium wines - Yukari Iwashiro (Japan)

The event was a terrific opportunity to taste through the diversity of Australian wine and to meet some of the leading personalities in Australian wine - Tyler Colman (US)

Robert [Hill Smith] and Tom [Carson] are impressive presenters.   Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are highlight of the tastings - Pei Tang (China)

The combination of events, wines and speakers is what really amazed me. It was incredible that you were able to pull together all the principals of the industry together at one time–awesome! - Barbara Philip (Canada)

I was very excited about the Historical Perspective masterclass due primarily to the sheer rarity of the wines presented.  This particular class exceeded my expectations of what the Tutorial would offer.  Both Andrew’s and James’s individual perspectives were incredibly valuable for the wines being presented - Sean Razee (US)

The tutorial exceeded my expectation, especially with the diverse theme of the sessions, the three tutors’ guidance, as well as guest tutors’ sharing in each themed session - Lim Hwee Peng (Singapore)

The Historic tasting stands out as did the fortified wine tasting but the pinot noir tasting was the best for me as it changed my views on Australian pinot noir for the better - Dermot Nolan (Ireland)

I have tasted some rare and fine wines, which has successfully helped me understand Australian wines much more. The tutorial has provided me an excellent picture of the quality wine industry background and potential - Rebecca Leung (China)

Never before have I learned so much about a wine country in just a single week. What I also did not expect was the participation of so many high profile experts from the Oz wine industry. It was an additional experience (and a truly great one!) to get acquainted with all these important people - Frank Kammer (Germany)

It is a unique learning opportunity about Australia’s fine wines and regionality to somebody highly knowledgeable of wine. It offers an unique opportunity to taste the finest wines the country produces and to see the direction where the industry and its wines are going - Essi Avellan (Finland)

An immersion into the heart of Australia’s fine wine dimension that charted progress to date and the current state of play and which also has an eye to the future. It focuses on Australia’s best wines, presented by the industry’s leaders - Jamie Goode (UK)

To taste a wide range of high-quality wines that showed off the regional distinctives of Australia - Julia Harding (UK)