ASVO Wine Show Technical Advisory Committee

The ASVO has played an important role in the development of Best Practice Recommendations (BPR) for the Australian wine show system. In 2004 it published recommendations for Wine Shows, developed by an industry based ASVO Wine Show Committee, to act as guidelines for Australian wine shows to assist them in their objectives of improving and promoting the wine quality and style offering of the Australian Wine industry. Tru to our word the ASVO is review and update these recommendations as well as consider issues not addressed in the 2015 review. Thus the ASVO has again established an industry based Wine Show Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), with members drawn from the wider industry, to review, revise and update the BPRs. The objective is to review and update the 2015 BPR on what constitutes best practice in the Australian Wine Show system including guidelines and recommendations.

Members of the TAC have been chosen to represent a wide range of industry interests including large and small companies, a wide range of regional origins, trade, and press Louisa Rose has accepted the ASVO invitation to Chair the TAC. She brings considerable judging, committee and exhibitor experience to the position. The ASVO has also nominated Board Member Dr Anthony Robinson to act as the secretary to the TAC. He has a particular interest and many years of involvement in the Australian Wine Show system.

Chair - Louisa Rose

During her 20-year career at Yalumba, Louisa Rose has become one of the world’s most respected winemakers – forging an identity for Australian Viognier, challenging perceptions of Barossa Shiraz, leading her viti- and vinicultural teams to ever greater heights and giving up her nights, weekends and spare moments for the betterment of Australian wine.  
 

 

Sue Bell

Sue is the Winemaker and Director of Bellwether, a small brand based in Coonawarra, making Coonawarra Cabernet, Tasmanian Chardonnay and other wines from Wrattonbully, Heathcote and the Riverland. Sue was part of the original ASVO wine show committee, she is active judge in the Australian wine show circuit at both regional and capital city shows and judged overseas. Sue started the Limestone Coast wine show and is a past chair of the Limestone Coast Grape and wine Council. Sue supports the training of future wine show judges via the AWRI AWAC course.

 

David Bicknell

David is the chief winemaker and manager at Yarra Valley winery Oakridge, and is also a distinguished show judge and had a deep influence when he was chairman of the Royal Melbourne Wine Show.

 

Angie Bradbury

Angie started her first communications agency in 2000 and has gone on to become a leading authority in strategic marketing and brand communications for the food, drinks and leisure industries. Angie formed Dig Marketing in 2005, which merged with 2fish Management to create Dig+Fish. Dig+Fish works across all sectors on brand strategy, public relations, experiential marketing and digital communications. Angie is immediate past Chair of Wine Communicators Australia, a Winemakers' Federation Steering Committee member for the Future Leaders Program and Chair of the Royal Melbourne Wine Show.

 

  

P-J Charteris

Born and raised in the Waikato, New Zealand P-J Charteris has survived the vicissitudes of nearly 30 years in the wine industry to settle on a Trans-Tasman lifestyle of vinous extremes. P-J is based in the Hunter Valley, NSW where he makes Shiraz and Semillon while commuting to Central Otago, NZ to make fine Pinot Noir and Riesling under his own label, Charteris. P-J has been involved in the Australian Wine Show system since his first Associate judge position at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show in 1994. He is now the chairman of Judges at Royal Queensland and Hunter Valley Wine Shows as well as New South Wales Wine Awards. When he is not in the vineyard, winery or at the tasting bench you can find him laying at the bottom of a ruck on the rugby field, surfing or farming children, he has a herd of two.

 

  

Sam Connew

Sam has previously worked as the Winemaker / Manager at Tower Estate in the Hunter Valley and Senior Winemaker at Wirra Wirra in McLaren Vale. More recently she has worked in applied research for the AWRI as Manager of the Hunter Valley Node and has launched her first solo project, Stargazer, in 2013. Sam has extensive judging experience having been a Panel Chair at many regional and capital city wine shows, and most recently appointed Chairman of Judges at the Sydney Royal Wine Show. She was an ASVO board member from 2011 - 2013 and has also completed the AWRI Advanced Wine Assessment Course and the Len Evans Tutorial.

 

 

Sarah Crowe

Wine Show judging is an integral part of Sarah’s calendar year with up to five wine shows judged to expand her palate and knowledge of industry trends. Throughout 2013 she judged at International Cool Climate Wine Show, Royal Queensland Wine Show and Royal Melbourne Wine Awards.

Sarah joined the team at Yarra Yering in September 2013 as Winemaker and is excited to be focusing on a single iconic vineyard site and giving the individual blocks and varieties the time and attention they deserve. She will continue the tradition that Dr Bailey Carrodus started in 1969 with the first vineyard plantings at Yarra Yering.

In 2016 she was named James Halliday 2017 Winemaker of the Year.

 

Rob Diletti

Robert Diletti has been part of Castle Rock Estate since its inception in 1981. He can still remember helping plant the first vines as a six year old in 1983. Many a school holiday and weekend was spent helping his parents on the vineyard.
In 1995 he enrolled in the Charles Sturt University winemaking course, graduating in 1998. After finishing his studies Rob worked at Mountadam and Alkoomi, completed a vintage in Alsace, France and then returned to Castle Rock Estate to design and build the winery with his family.
Rob has been a Panel Chair at the Perth Wine Show and the Wine Show of Western Australia and has judged at numerous other shows including the Sydney Wine Show, National Canberra Wine Show and the Hobart Wines Show.
As well as receiving many awards for his wines, Rob also has achieved many personal accolades including being a finalist in Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year Awards in 2012 and 2019 and was the inaugural Wine Maker of the Year in James Halliday’s 2015 Wine Companion!

 

Sally Evans

Sally’s career has focused on marketing and general management within the wine industry, most recently on family wine businesses in the Hunter Valley.
She has a Master of Business Administration from Cranfield University (UK) and now spends her professional time on board activities for a range of corporate and community groups.
Sally has been a judge with both the Sydney Royal Wine Show and District Exhibits Competition, and was introduced to the RAS by her late father Len Evans, former chairman of Judges for the Wine Show for many years.

 

Jane Faulkner

Jane is one of Australia’s most loved and respected wine journalists, with several decades of experience and countless tasting notes under her belt. She is also one of the most travelled wine writers, and is considered one of the foremost experts on Italian wine and alternative varieties in Australia. This is in part due to her role as chair of the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show.

 

David Metcalf

David is a member of the Royal National Capital Agricultural Society which conducts the National Wine Show of Australia.  He was a Councillor of the Society 1993-2017, a Director on the Board 1997-2005 and Vice-President 2005-2010.  David volunteered as a steward for the National Wine Show 1995-2009.  He chaired the Canberra Regional Wine Show committee 1998-2005 and chaired the National Wine Show committee 2010-2015, leading and implementing significant reform.

A lawyer, David is currently Deputy Parliamentary Counsel in the ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office, drafting legislation for the ACT government, non-government members of the ACT Legislative Assembly and ACT courts.

Tony Robinson

Tony is based in South Australia working as a winemaker at the Bilyara winery in the Barossa Valley. He started his career in 2000 and has worked in a range of roles across the wine industry including research, industry policy, viticultural management, and winemaking. Tony is best known for his integrated industry perspective, passion for research, and collaborative drive. He has been involved with wine shows in both organisational and judging roles over the last seventeen years having experience at regional, national, and international wine shows in Australia and the United States. Tony has also previously served on the Perth Royal and Margaret River Regional wine show committees, was Dux of the Barossa AWRI Advanced Wine Assessment Course in 2016, and co-authored the 2015 ASVO Wine Show Best Practice Recommendations.

 

Charlie Seppelt

Charlie is McLaren Vale based as a Senior Winemaker for the Randall Wine Group having completed his 30th vintage this year. Charlie has been judging for 10 years in Australia, having completed both Advanced Wine Assessment Course and Len Evans Tutorial in 2011 and 2013 respectively. He has judged various National and Regional shows as either a Senior Judge or Panel Chair and most recently has taken over Chairing the Langhorne Creek Show. Previously, a committee member then Co-Chaired the McLaren Vale Wine Show.

Lynda Schenk

Lynda founded Purple Giraffe Marketing Consultancy in 2014 offering an end to end marketing service that draws on her proven ability to formulate brand strategies and marketing communications plans that build brand equity, growth and profitability.

Tyson Stelzer

Tyson Stelzer is a wine writer, television presenter and author of 14 wine books. He was named The Australian Wine Communicator of the Year 2013 and The International Champagne Writer of the Year 2011. He is a regular judge and chairman at wine shows throughout Australia and is a co-creator with UK wine writer Matthew Jukes of The Great Australian Red Competition. Tyson is a regular contributor to 15 magazines including Wine Spectator, Decanter, Qantas The Australian Way and Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine. He contributes reviews to the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion and is a contributor to Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine. Tyson is a consultant to Qantas Airways First Class and Business Class champagne selection. As an international speaker, he has presented at wine conferences in the UK, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

 

Courtney Treacher

Courtney is based at the Houghton Nannup Winery. Winemaker since 2007, Courtney is responsible for the production of Brookland Valley wines. Courtney studied viticulture and Oenology at Curtin University graduating in 2003. Courtney completed the AWRI’s Advanced Wine Assessment Course in 2007 and has previously been on judging panels at a number of Western Australian regional shows and the Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide Royal Wine Shows. In 2011 Courtney had the great fortune of being selected as one of the Len Evans Tutorial scholars.

 

Corrina Wright

Corrina Wright has dedicated herself to the development of innovative varieties and innovative wine styles. She led the planting of the first Mencia in Australia, on the back of being an early adopter of alternative varieties, with a particular focus on planting those that are heat and drought tolerant, with high natural acidity and with a different flavour profile to traditional varieties. With a clear commitment to the future of the industry, Corrina has further extended her involvement in the wine industry by being a key instigator in the Winemakers Federation of Australia (now Australian Grape and Wine) undertaking a gender and cultural diversity study for the industry and combined with her Board membership of the Australian Women in Wine Awards (AWIWA), is an important part of the leadership on cultural change for the whole wine community