A major objective of the ASVO is to promote education in viticulture and oenology and to ensure and maintain the highest standards of quality for these educational objectives. An esteemed panel of judges with extensive expertise in the area of wine show judging and wine sensory assessment select an ASVO member each year to participate in the Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC), delivered by the Australian Wine Research institute (AWRI).

2023 Emma Shaw

Emma is general manager of Collector Wines and also runs her own business, Pique-Nique, which offers wine appreciation classes and events to encourage consumers to develop their understanding of wine and their appreciation of Canberra wines.

She also volunteers her time with industry associations across the broader region and is close to completing a Bachelor of Wine Science at Charles Sturt University

2022 Leah Mottin

Leah has successfully completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Technologies and a Masters in Viticulture and Oenology, Charles Sturt University. In 2021, she was the recipient of a Mentorship Scholarship orchestrated by the Australian Woman in Wine Awards; a project introduced to promote career development in the industry.  Leah has contributed to the industry through her involvement with the Perricoota Grape Growers Association as a committee member, and the Frankston Winemakers Guild as the Newsletter Editor. 
She has developed a diverse skillset and knowledge through her international winemaking experience in California and England, and domestically working in the Alpine Valley, Perricoota region, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. 

2021 Stephanie Elyes

An esteemed panel of judges with extensive expertise in the area of wine show judging and wine sensory assessment have this year selected Stephanie Eyles, Rhône Girl and Fighting Gully Road to receive the AWAC scholarship. Stephanie’s career in wine started at a young age, helping her father stack shelves in their family wine store. She progressed to learn how to assess wine quality and price wines for retail stores. As her interest in wine developed, Stephanie travelled across Australia and France, completing three vintages in the Northern Rhône including multiple vineyard seasons working the steep slopes of Hermitage AOP. Back in Australia Stephanie worked a season in Beechworth between the vineyards of Fighting Gully Road Beechworth and Stone Tryst; this vineyard using the same single post goblet vine training system as Hermitage AOP.  

Stephanie was a finalist in the Gourmet Traveller WINE new wine writer award. She has published articles in Gourmet Traveller WINE and was accepted into the Wine Communicator Australia Mentor Program in 2019. 

2020 Marcell Kustos

Marcell commenced his career in the wine industry through his family vineyard. Eventually, his passion for flavour pairings and terroir stimulated him to complete a PhD in Wine Science at the University of Adelaide. His research on memorable wine experiences and regional typicality gained international industry support and funding from Wine Australia. His innovative, science-driven wine pairings and consumer experience-focused approach earned him the Head Sommelier position at Penfolds Magill Estate. Marcell is also part of the Sommeliers Australia committee and he remains actively involved in wine education and research.

Commenting at the announcement of the awards, the ASVO President Brooke Howell said that the scholarship program is an important component of the ASVO Awards program “Our Awards for Excellence and scholarship program is one way we honour outstanding people from across Australia that are making significant contributions to the Australian Wine industry”.
Whilst each of the candidates were worthy of merit the judges felt that both Marcell and the wine industry would benefit from his attendance at AWAC.
“Attending the AWAC will help me continue professional and personal development in the Australian wine industry. I'm hoping to refine my palate to identify faults, better understand the impact of winemaking and viticultural intervention on the final product, which in turn will allow me to share the story of and promote exceptional wines from Australia. The AWAC will also qualify me to judge at regional and national wine shows and contribute to lift Australian wine quality and provide feedback to wineries as the show system was intended" said Marcell. The scholarship will allow Marcell to refine his palate and sensory skills and we wish him well at the AWAC and look forward to hearing about his experience later in the year.

2019 Bernadette Kaeding

The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) Board of Directors are pleased to announce Bernadette Kaeding as the recipient of the annual Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) scholarship.

Whilst each of the candidates were worthy of merit the judges felt that both Bernadette and the wine industry would benefit from her attendance at AWAC.

“The AWAC course will allow me to progress my wine assessment skills further, which is essential for my job, my contribution to local wine shows and wine community, and also wine show judging”, said Bernadette.

The scholarship will allow Bernadette to refine her palate and sensory skills and we wish her well at the AWAC and look forward to hearing about her experience later in the year.

2018 Frank Butera

The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) Board of Directors are pleased to announce Frank Butera as the recipient of the annual Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) Scholarship

Frank Butera is the General Manager and Wine Maker at Bass River in Gippsland, Victoria. Frank completed his BSc Applied Physics followed by BSc Wine Science at CSU. The combination of both studies assists Frank in understanding the mechanisms involved for grape growing and wine making. Bass River grows Pinot Noir, Gamay, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The breadth of varietals at Bass River provides Frank the opportunity to create wines and develop wine evaluation skills to reflect style, varietal and region. The ASVO Scholarship to attend the Advance Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) at the AWRI will significantly contribute to the development of sensory skills and analysis. The outcomes of the AWAC will contribute to identifying and awarding exceptional wines from the Gippsland region and the grater wine and grape growing community.

Commenting at the announcement of the awards, the ASVO President Dr Anthony Robinson said that the scholarship program is an important component of the ASVO Awards program “Our Awards for Excellence and scholarship program is one way we honour outstanding people from across Australia that are making significant contribution into the Australian Wine industry”.

Whilst each of the candidates were worthy of merit the judges felt that both Frank and the wine industry would benefit from his attendance at AWAC.

Frank has a passion to appreciate wines that present a sense of place and wines that evolve from and have been grown to reveal their origin. “In my experience it is these wines that have been skilfully assembled from the vineyard and monitored closely through the wine making process. Wine and grape sensory permits the wine maker to obtain confidence to proactively appreciate the development of the wine from grape to bottle. The ability to recognise wine faults at any stage of development is a skill that I continue to refine.” said Frank. The $4,760 scholarship will allow Frank to refine his palate and sensory skills and we wish him well at the AWAC and look forward to hearing about his experience later in the year.

Recognition of Frank’s scholarship will be made at the Annual ASVO Awards for Excellence Dinner, which is taking place on Tuesday 13th of November at the Wine Centre in Adelaide.