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Images by Frankie the Creative
The South Australian wine scene just keeps getting better and better, and after last week’s Australian Wine Industry Awards, a few local winemakers are having to find some room on their already decorated trophy cabinets for some well-deserved new additions.
Over the weekend, the who’s who of the Australian wine industry gathered at Adelaide Town Hall for the very prestigious Australian Wine Industry Awards. Two major honours were handed out on the night, recognising the industry’s very best who are doing some seriously impressive work, both in the vineyard and beyond.
The biggest and most special award of the night, the Maurice O’Shea Award, went to wine historian, author, all-round Aussie wine advocate and graduate of South Australia’s Roseworthy Agricultural College, Andrew Caillard MW. With a 45-year career under his belt, Andrew has spent decades championing Australian wine on a global scale, and he’s done it all with class and a deep respect for the industry’s roots and future.
“I would like to pay tribute to the so many colleagues and friends, past and present, who have made a wonderful difference to our cause for Australian wine and the Australian wine community,” shared Andrew.
“Working with the Australian Wine industry has been a great privilege. We truly belong to a great cause and something that all generations of Australians – young and old – should be proud of.
“I am very honoured to receive the prestigious Maurice O’Shea Award. Hopefully this will be seen as being symbolic; that working in wine is a vocation – not a job – and that making a difference of some sort takes time, requires patience and demands collaboration with others.”
Andrew’s contributions are the stuff of wine world legend. He wrote the book ‘The Australian Ark: The Story of Australian Wine 1788 to the Modern Era’, helped shape the ‘LANGTONS Classification of Australian Wine’ and authored ‘The Rewards of Patience for Penfolds’. He’s part historian, part storyteller, and definitely an industry powerhouse who’s helped shape how the world sees Australian wine.
Adrian Sparks, Chief Winemaker for Mount Pleasant Wines, summed it up perfectly. “Andrew’s dedication to researching and championing the Australian wine industry is truly admirable. His work has played a defining role in elevating its reputation on the global stage. We are honoured to present him with the Maurice O’Shea Award in recognition of his significant contribution,” he said.
Also recognised on the night was Dylan Grigg, who took home the McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award. This is an honour reserved for those tackling only the biggest challenges in wine with innovation and a lot of hard work.
Dylan is super passionate about old vines and protecting them. From the Barossa to New Zealand and back again, Dylan’s career has been fuelled by curiosity and care for the land. He founded Meristem Viticulture to help growers work smarter, and completed a PhD on grapevine age and quality, all while also running his own old-vine Grenache label, Vinya Vella. Dylan works to blend science and hands-on experience, with his mission to keep Australia’s old vines healthy, thriving, and respected at the forefront of all his work.
When accepting his award, Dylan said, “I’ve had some wonderful mentors in my career, a couple of which are in this room. I thank them all and my current colleagues for my career journey to date. This award recognises excellence in action, and for me, that action has always been driven by curiosity and learning. Learning to care for vines and the land to produce a great product we can share and enjoy that brings people together.”
These awards were a brilliant showing of the very best Australian winemakers leading the industry, and highlighted their hard work, fabulous achievements, and their real passion for the industry.
To see the full list of winners, click here.
Follow Andrew on Instagram @andrewcaillardmw
Follow Dylan on Instagram @gdylla
