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Winemaker of the Year Awards 2009
Raise a glass. The results are in. It’s time to announce the winners.
With the Australian wine industry facing enormous challenges, the need to promote the quality of its wines seems essential. Gourmet Traveller WINE believes that by documenting the work of our finest winemakers and drawing attention to their best wines, it is contributing to this vital work. Over the past 12 years, this magazine has told the stories of almost 100 of Australia’s most talented winemakers, vignerons and viticulturists, and the wines they produce.
We are delighted to announce that the new sponsor of Winemaker of the Year is Wine Australia. General manager of market development Paul Henry believes that the magazine and Wine Australia are a perfect fit. “We have a set of complementary features and benefits and recognise what each is good at. Both promote and celebrate Australian winemaking,” he says.
We have been excited and encouraged by our readers’ responses to Winemaker of the Year and to awards presented in association with it: the Wine Australia Medal, which encourages up-and-coming winemakers, and the Len Evans Award, which celebrates the importance of leadership in the Australian wine industry. Kevin McLintock joins Robert Hill Smith and David Hohnen as the third Len Evans recipient. The judges are proud to acknowledge McLintock’s life work and the leadership he has shown in so many roles.
The winner of the Wine Australia Medal is Sarah Fagan of De Bortoli. Fagan has outstanding personal qualities and has impressed the judges with her winemaking talents. As former De Bortoli winemaker Bill Downie won the Kemeny Medal in 2006, the judges pay tribute to chief winemaker, Steve Webber, for nurturing young winemakers.
The judging panel for Winemaker of the Year is made up of Peter Bourne, Nick Bulleid MW, Andrew Caillard MW, Peter Forrestal (chairman), Huon Hooke and Sophie Otton all of whom contribute to Gourmet Traveller WINE and are on its tasting panel. In selecting the winners over the years, the judges have placed the spotlight on those whose dedication, hard work and inspiration have provided the leadership and drive that has made the Australian wine industry capable of producing such a diverse range of world class wines.
TEXT PETER FORRESTAL PHOTOGRAPHY GRANT HARVEY