Teri van Aalst, the wine professional behind Wine Not? by Teri, has been awarded the 2024 Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) Wine Media Cadetship, designed to enhance the wine communication and media skills of recipients.
Now in its seventh year, the cadetship is awarded to a young person with a passion for South Australia’s wine industry as a way of enriching the pool of wine media personnel in Australia and creating proud ambassadors of the country’s winemaking.
WCA Executive Chair Angus Barnes congratulated van Aalst on being chosen, saying: “Teri is a very worth recipient due to both her South Australian and also her international experience. She is enthusiastic, credentialled through the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and looking to gain exposure and knowledge through this opportunity.”
Commenting on the announcement, van Aalst also shared her excitement: “I am honoured to have been selected as the 2024 Wine Media Cadet. I’m excited to embrace the opportunities this experience will provide, learning from the industry’s top experts and honing my skills in wine media and communications on both a national and international stage. My ultimate goal is to promote South Australia’s outstanding wine industry.”
Over the next six months, van Aalst will undertake a tailored program that provides experiences and insights into the wine industry in South Australia and beyond, beginning with a trip to Verona, Italy to accompany the Adelaide contingent to the Great Wine Capitals Annual Conference.
With a focus on enhancing her communication, media and writing skills, van Aalst will attend numerous key industry events throughout her cadetship, with the opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s most high profile wine industry contacts and have her work published on the Adelaide, Great Wine Capital blog.
The cadetship is made possible through Great Wine Capitals, a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, the South Australian Wine Industry Association, the South Australian Tourism Commission and the University of Adelaide.
The Hon Clare Scriven MLC, SA Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries commented: “The State Government is proud to support WCA’s Wine Media Cadetship as it fosters talent and provides an incredible opportunity for a young wine communicator to develop their skills and ultimately play an important role in sharing South Australia’s wine story.
“The significance of a cadetship solely for the wine industry should not be underestimated, it is a real asset which helps increase exposure of the state’s wine industry and of Adelaide’s membership in the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
“The program has been tailored to ensure the cadet will gain the best industry exposure and experience by being involved in a number of key wine industry events where they can learn from and network with highly respected wine industry members. We look forward to seeing Teri become a familiar name in the wine community.”