Posts Tagged Tutorial

Australia’s fine wine must lead on international stage

Posted by Ben in Tutorial on September 28th, 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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Congratulations to the 2010 Participants

Posted by Ben in Participants on March 16th, 2010

The applications for the 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial were as keenly contested as 2009, perhaps reflecting an increased awareness and interest from North and South-East Asia.  New and emerging markets are not the only benefactors, however, with exciting representation from Canada, the US, UK, Germany and Denmark.  The successful participants of the 2010 Tutorial are:

  • Ms Sarah Ahmed, freelance wine writer and educator, United Kingdom
    Sarah runs her own website The Wine Detective as well as contributing to a number of publications including The World of Fine Wine, Decanter, Wine & Spirit, The Drinks Business, Harpers Wine & Spirit Weekly, Imbibe/Square Meal, Off Licence News, and The Wine Society Newsletter. Sarah has extensive experience in wine tastings, courses and presentations as well as international wine judging experience.
  • Ms Kim Bickley, sommelier, Hilton Hotel, Australia
    Kim Bickley is a Certified Sommelier with over 15 years’ experience in fine dining and the hospitality industry. She is currently Head Sommelier of Hilton Sydney and Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie and has judged at several wine shows in Australia.
  • Jessica Harnois – Canada
    Jessica Harnois is a Wine Buyer/Sommelier with the SAQ (Quebec Liquor Board) and manages the Courier Vinicole magazine (www.saq.com/Couriervinicole ) the private SAQ wine cellar. She is the President of the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers and also a wine journalist with various publications as well as filming wine reviews on the web (www.repere.tv). Jessica has been a Sommelier at leading restaurants including Charlie Trotter’s, Tetsuya’s and Toqué!
  • Mr Tony Love, wine writer, News Ltd. metropolitan newspapers, Australia
    Tony writes for News Ltd’s metropolitan newspapers’ weekly food and wine publication, Taste, which appears in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide and associated websites. He also edits and writes an annual Top 100 Australian Wine Guide and has broad wine judging experience.
  • Ms Karen MacNeil, chairman, Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, United States
    Karen is the author of the US best-selling wine book, The Wine Bible, which is used in the US by the Guild of Master Sommeliers as their primary teaching text. Karen hosted and wrote for the Emmy-award winning Wine, Food & Friends with Karen MacNeil, a 13-part series which ran on US national television from 2005 to 2008. She has been published in more than 50 US magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Food & Wine, Saveur, and Town & Country. Karen has received many prestigious industry awards, the most recent being the IWSC’s 2008 Trophy for Communicator of the Year.
  • Mr Kenichi Ohashi, president, Yamajin Co. Ltd., Utsunomiya, Japan
    Kenichi is a director and chief consultant about wine and sake education in premium product development consulting company, SomerSault Co. Ltd. He is also a wine columnist for Yomiuri Online, a certified sommelier with the Japan Sommelier Association and has published a book called “Natural Wine” featuring sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines. He is a Senior Judge at the IWC and is an experienced lecturer on wine, providing education and commercial advice to wine buyers at other wine wholesale firms across Japan.
  • Ms Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Asian wine correspondent and reviewer, eRobertParker.com and The Wine Advocate, Singapore
    Singapore’s only MW, Lisa has been working in the wine trade for more than 17 years. She currently writes for Robert Parker’s website, as the Asian wine correspondent and reviewer for The Wine Advocate covering the wines of Australia. She is also the Contributing Wine editor for Cuisine & Wine Asia Magazine. Lisa’s extensive career in the wine trade has spanned three countries (UK, Japan, and Singapore) in sales, marketing, purchasing and wine education. As one of the world’s leading experts on Fine Wines and Asian Wine Markets, she frequently lectures upon these topics at conferences around the world.
  • Ms Diwen Qiu, managing editor, “Wine in China” magazine, Singapore
    Diwen is a Singapore-based wine writer with extensive work ties to mainland China. She is currently the Managing Editor for “Wine in China” magazine, and a wine columnist and wine consultant with Xibao Trading Company. Diwen is also the guest host and editor of “Enjoying wine” series on the Shanghai educational television station. She has published more than 100 articles over the last four years in wine and food related magazines in China, such as Vino Vogue, Wine in China and Food Report. Diwen’s “Handbook of Wine”, written in Chinese, will be published this year and she has judged at the Hong Kong Wine and Spirits Competition and Tower Club American Express wine competition in Singapore.
  • Dr Edward Ragg, wine writer, educator and consultant, Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting, China
    Edward is a wine writer, educator and columnist for The World of Fine Wine Magazine and recently Decanter magazine, as well as, within China, for The Financial Times’ Rui, Drink Magazine (Shanghai), The Robb Report China and Caijing Ribao, among others. He has also served as the ‘China Correspondent’ for wine sites Catavino and Enobytes and has international wine judging experience.
  • Mr Thomas Rydberg, wine writer, Ekstra Bladet, Denmark
    Thomas is a wine educator and wine writer for Ekstra Bladet which is among the largest print newspapers and the largest online news site in Denmark. Thomas is also editor and CEO of AltomSpanskVin Aps. He teaches at a private wine school in Copenhagen, has international and domestic wine judging experience, and plans to begin his MW this year.
  • Mr Joerg Sievers, editor, Weinwirtschaft, Meininger Publications, Germany
    Joerg is a wine editor at Meininger Publications and has written articles for Weinwelt, Sommelier Magazine and Weinwirtschaft. In 2008 Joerg published a 64 page buyer’s guide for Shiraz Wines from Australia, the first of its kind in Germany, which was circulated into Meininger’s wine publications.
  • Mr Simon Tam, wine journalist, educator and consultant, Independent Wine Centre, Hong Kong
    Simon is the founding director of Independent Wine Centre in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Macao as well as Hong Kong IWSC, the Hong Kong partner of the prestigious UK-based IWSC. Simon has more than 20 years’ experience in the wine industry, has judged at more than 70 international wine competitions around the world, and in 2007 was voted “The Best Wine Consultant” in the UK’s Wine Business International magazine. He is a contributing editor to 23 publications and websites including The South China Morning Post, Prestige, Macau Closer and Wine in China, among many more. Simon is the chairman elect of Greater China Wine Critics Association, whose role is to promote and nurture knowledge exchange between wine producers and association members in Hong Kong, Macao, Shanghai, Beijing and Taipei.
  • Ms Fongyee Walker, wine writer, educator and consultant, Dragon Phoenix Fine Wine Consulting, China
    Fongyee is a WSET recommended tutor and assesor and is a second year candidate of the MW Program. Fongyee is also wine writer for Hong Kong Tatler, Financial Times Rui Magazine, Caijing Ribao (China’s top financial newspaper), Fine Wine & Liquor (China), Wine in China, and co-writer of Dragon Phoenix Wine blog. Her extensive judging experience includes regular participation on tasting panels of Wine in China, Savour, and Food and Wine China, the Hong Kong IWC and team captain, member and coach of the Cambridge University Varsity Wine-Tasting Team.
  • Mr Thomas Woolrych, buying manager, Direct Wines, United Kingdom
    Thomas is the buying manager for Direct Wines – the world’s largest direct to customer independent and family-owned wine business with approximately one million regular customers. They operate in the UK, US, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and Hong Kong and trading names include Laithwaites and The Sunday Times Wine Club in the UK. Thomas has worked for Direct Wines since 1997 and is responsible for purchasing from Australia. He is a Senior Judge at the IWC.

Definitions
#LAT10 - Twitter hashtag for 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial
#apluswine - Twitter hashtag recognising A+ Australian Wine
IWC – International Wine Challenge
IWSC – International Wine & Spirit Competition
MW – Master of Wine
WSET – Wine & Spirit Education Trust

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Landmark Australia Tutorial 2010

Posted by Ben in About on September 18th, 2009

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.

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What an amazing week!

Posted by Ben in Tutorial on July 5th, 2009

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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