By Andy Young
The winners of the 2015 Wine Communicator Awards, including the coveted Wine Communicator of the Year, were named last night.
In total nine award winners were named at the ceremony, which WCA chair Angus Barnes described as a fantastic culmination of a highly successful Awards.
The awards and their winners are:
- Wine Communicator of the Year – Tyson Stelzer
- Digital Communicator of the Year – Tyson Stelzer
- Gourmet Traveller WINE New Wine Writer Award – Tony Anisimoff
- Best Published Feature Articles or Wine Column – Max Allen
- Best Trade or Technical Wine Writer – Richard Smart
- Best Wine Educator – Wine101x (University of Adelaide)
- Best Wine Publication (trade or consumer) – Alquimie
- Best Wine Book – Vintage Tasmania, by Tony Walker
- Best Wine Website or App – Gourmet Traveller WINE (Digital)
Barnes said: "This has become our most important event on the annual WCA calendar; certainly in terms of who we are, what we stand for and our aspirations for the future.
"I particularly want to congratulate our new Wine Communicator of the Year Tyson Stelzer, who in the past 12 months has added to an already impressive CV with his new TV Show People of the Vines and an all-new Champagne-dedicated website and digital resource.
"Tyson, in all his efforts and communications, is an insightful, respectful and gifted communicator who thoroughly deserves this second turn as our Wine Communicator of the Year."
The judging panel for the awards included a mix of industry professionals, including International digital expert Paul Mabray, Fabulous Ladies Wine Society founder Jane Thomson, Wine Australia Program Manager Anne Duncan, 2014 Wine Communicator of the Year Jeni Port, the drinks association CEO Sandra Przibilla, photographer Milton Wordley and Radpublic Director Louise Radman. The Gourmet Traveller WINE New Wine Writer Award was judged by editor Judy Sarris, contributing editor Huon Hooke, and WCA Chair Angie Bradbury.