By Amy Looker
The Wine Society has announced its 10 finalists for the 2009 Young Winemaker of the Year award.
Open to Australian and New Zealand winemakers under the age of 30, the prestigious awards are judged by a panel of industry experts who will spend the next two months judging the wines submitted by the finalists in their quest to find Australia’s top young winemaker.
Now in its ninth year, the awards also include a Member’s Choice award, judged by The Wine Society members, and the Sommelier’s Choice Award, which is judged by Australia’s top sommeliers.
The winner of the 2009 Young Winemaker of the Year will receive a trip to Europe with Singapore Airlines to take part in a vintage in either Italy, Spain or France, plus spending money.
The finalists for 2009 are:
Stu Marfell (Vavasour Wines, Marlborough NZ)
Joanna Marsh (Seppelt Wines, Great Western VIC)
Steven Oliver (Harrington Glen Estate, Glen Alpin QLD)
Luke Watson (Pepper Tree Wines, Pokolbin NSW)
Jen Pfeiffer (Pfeiffer Wines, Rutherglen VIC)
Peter Kelly (Thorn-Clarke Wines, Angaston SA)
Ryan Aggiss (Flying Fish Cove, Dunsborough WA)
Nick Glaetzer (Glaetzer Dixon Family Winemakers, Cambridge TAS)
Julian Langworthy (Knappstein Wines, Clare Valley SA)
Liam McElhinney (The Ned, Blenheim NZ)
Last year’s winner, Ben Haines of Mitchelton Wines in Victoria, said that the awards provide the ideal platform for young winemakers to enhance their careers. “
The Young Winemaker of the Year award, above all else, really supported and fuelled my belief that the wine industry is full of boundless opportunity. Through the opening of doors, networks and experiences as a result of the accolade my excitement for the industry and anticipation for the future has reached new heights.”
The winners will be announced at a gala dinner at the Westin Hotel in Sydney on Friday, 20 November. For more information, click here.