The Maurice O’Shea Award and the McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award were presented during the Australian Wine Industry Awards at Adelaide Town Hall. Andrew Caillard MW and Dylan Grigg were the winners of the awards this year.
Both winners were selected though a conferral process involving a panel of industry leaders, industry body organisations, journalists and previous winners of the Maurice O’Shea, and was then shortcut by leaders within the Mount Pleasant and McWilliam’s organisations.
Andrew Caillard MW received the Maurice O’Shea Award this year, as part of the recognition of his 45 years contribution to the wine industry.
Caillard’s long stand contribution includes ongoing work to promote the Australian wine industry, such as The Australian Ark, Penfolds: The Rewards of Patience, the LANGTONS Classification of Australian Wine (Editions I-VII) and The Vintage Journal.
Additionally, his work also extends to building LANGTONS as both a shareholder and director.
“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. 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,” said Caillard.
“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.”
Dylan Grigg, a viticulturist, advisor and vineyard owner, received this year’s McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award. His works include researching and protecting the Australian old vines.
Grigg began his career in the Barossa Valley, where he first engaged with old vines. He then went to study viticulture at the University of Adelaide and work in vineyards across Victoria and New Zealand. Grigg founded Meristem Viticulture in 2008, which assists growers and winemakers get most from their vines.
He later completed his PhD focused on grapevine age and grape and wine quality. With study sites in Barossa Valley, he also operates his own wine label specialising in old vine grenache, Vinya Vella.
“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,” said Grigg.
“This is an industry and a room full of passion and it’s something that I’m very proud and grateful to be a part of. This award goes out to all the viticulturists out there. It’s for the recognition that healthy vines and long-lived vines are important to this industry.”
The Australian Wine Industry Awards ceremony brought industry leaders, media, producers and industry body representatives gathered.
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