Australian women in wine take centre stage in London

The Women in Wine program, being held at Australia House in London on 26 September, will be the largest gathering of Australian female winemakers and winery owners in the world. This unique event – which incorporates the announcement of the winners in the 2017 Australian Women in Wine Awards - is the first of its kind and will give the UK wine trade and the public the opportunity to meet Australia’s most prominent women in wine, hear their stories and taste a diverse selection of Australian wine.

Andreas Clark, CEO of Wine Australia said, ‘We’re thrilled that such a strong group of women will be representing the Australian wine industry internationally. This is a fantastic opportunity to shine the light on these women’s success, share their wines with new audiences and hopefully inspire more women to join the wine industry.’

There are 57 women participating, representing 18 wine regions across Australia including Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Tasmania. The line-up ranges from some of the country’s most iconic winemakers such as Louisa Rose (Yalumba) and Virginia Willcock (Vasse Felix) to the most pioneering new kids on the block like Emma Raidis (Raidis Estate) and Louise Mack (Aphelion Wines). Over 300 wines will be available to taste during the program.

The program will kick off with the third annual Australian Women in Wine Awards ceremony. The Awards were established by The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society as a platform to recognise and reward the work of women in the Australian wine community. There are eight award categories including Winemaker of the Year, Viticulturist of the Year and Owner/Operator of the Year.

Jane Thomson, Awards founder and chair, said, ‘This is the first time the awards have been held outside Australia and we can’t wait to celebrate some extraordinary women on the global stage. There is no doubt that the wine industry is male dominated, so it’s important that we champion the women that are breaking ground and achieving so much in the world of wine.’

The Awards will be followed by a trade tasting, where the Australian winemakers will have the chance to impress local UK trade, including restaurants, sommeliers and buyers with their wines, with the hope that more Australian wine will be sold in the UK.

Wine Australia has partnered with the Australian Women in Wine Awards to develop the Women in Wine program.

For more information on the program, visit Women in Wine.

Interviews and filming opportunities are available in Australia and London with the winemakers, Founder and Chair of the Awards Jane Thomson, the judges of the Awards and Wine Australia.