Each year, the Wine Communicator Awards recognises outstanding contribution to wine industry communications, with awards presented across 11 categories in a ceremony held on Wednesday 20 November.
WCA Executive Chair Angus Barnes says: “These awards reflect the changing nature of wine communication, but still the critical importance of communicating all things wine, whether it be talking to consumers at a cellar door, detailing complex research findings in an industry journal or crafting entertaining articles for magazines. Or, new to the awards this year, designing beautiful packaging that tells a story or creating engaging social media to attract new audiences.”
The awards were judged by 25 respected wine industry professionals, with the Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) Board determining Andrew Caillard MW the overall 2024 Wine Communicator of the Year.
The overall Wine Communicator of the Year recognises a recipient that has demonstrated their excellence in their area of communication in the wine sector, and Barnes congratulated Caillard on this achievement.
“I will borrow some words from our judges who, when talking about [Barnes’ work] The Australian Ark, said ‘this is the most important book on the Australian wine community yet written […] ambitious in scope, meticulous in research, and profoundly influential…’ and I will add that I too believe this to be a piece of wine communication of considerable historical significance.”
The Wine Communicator Awards category winners were:
- Best Wine Marketing Communication Campaign (Individual or Team): Dan Riccardo’s by Pernod Ricard
- Best Digital Communication: Wine for the People by Unico Zelo
- Best Social Communication: Viticulture Australia
- Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column: Katie Spain
- Best Innovative Wine Packaging: Tread Softly Bagnums by Denomination
- Best New Wine Book: The Australian Ark by Andrew Caillard MW (author), Dr Angus Hughson from The Vintage Journal & David Longfield from Longueville Media (co-publishers)
- Best Winery Website: Punt Road Wines
- Best Wine-Themed Event: Dark Side of Wine by The Winemakers of Rutherglen
- Best Wine Communicator – Cellar Door: Tracey Whooley, Singlefile Wines
- Best Wine Educator: Jill Bauer, The University of Adelaide
- Best Wine Student: Syuzanna Mosikyan, The University of Adelaide