Prue Henschke and Russell Johnstone have been bestowed the honour of becoming Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) Fellows.
Awarded for outstanding and meritorious contribution to the grape and wine industry and to the Society, the pair was named at the ASVO’s AGM last week.
Ms Henschke has been a member of the ASVO for more than 40 years and after graduating from the University of Adelaide, has dedicated her career to contributing to the Australian wine industry, in particular the field of vine improvement.
She is well known for her work in the use of biodynamic principles and organic practices, as well as the use of native grass species, parasitic wasps and natural predators.
Mr Johnstone has been working in the wine industry since the 1980s and has worked for a number of producers including Yalumba, St Hallett, Orlando Wyndham and Pernod Ricard before starting his own wine industry consultancy, Winecycle. He has been a member of the ASVO since 1995 and has sat on various boards across the industry.
ASVO President, Brooke Howell, said the selection of Fellows was particularly difficult this year because of the extremely high calibre of candidates.
“The collective wisdom that both these individuals encapsulate is extraordinary as is the diversity of their background and experience,” she said.