Bruce Tyrrell AM. Image courtesy Wine Communicators of Australia
Bruce Tyrrell AM was named the 2025 NSW Legend of the Vine at the 2025 Sydney Royal Wine Show Awards Lunch on Friday, where he received a standing ovation from the 230 guests present.
Presented by Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA), The Legend of the Vine Award recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian wine industry and who “epitomises the spirit and ethos” of WCA to connect, develop, engage and inspire excellence in how they communicate about wine.
Markus Patz, WCA NSW chapter co-chair, detailed Tyrrell’s career, and spoke of his dedication to proving the age-worthiness of Hunter Valley Semillon and the superiority of screw caps; his community minded attitude as he supported a neighbouring winemaker struck by tragedy; and the many industry roles in which he has served and still serves.
When Patz unveiled the 2025 recipient as Bruce Tyrrell, the room erupted in applause and guests rose from their seats.
Accepting the award, Tyrrell recalled how it all began.
Bruce Tyrrell emphasised the importance of family businesses in his acceptance speech. Image courtesy Wine Communicators of Australia
“My start in the industry was at age six, in the winery, helping my father clean out a vat,” said Tyrrell. “He wasn’t looking and got a bucket of skins and juice and tipped it over the side of the vat and I happened to be standing underneath. I wouldn’t go back to the winery for three months (until my mother sent me back).”
Tyrrell emphasised the importance of remaining a family business, describing families as “the guts” of the Australian industry.
“It is the families that run our industries,” said Tyrrell. “We are all mates. Our industry is full of that. There are people here that I started dealing with 50-odd years ago. There are some of us who’ve been around long enough to know that it’s our job to make our industry stronger. That’s the most important thing. Make your industry stronger, make it better, and make sure you’ve got people coming through who can carry it on.”
WCA National Chair Lynda Schenk described Tyrrell as “a true Legend of the Vine”.
“He has been a driving force for the Hunter Valley for decades, particularly for Semillon,” said Schenk. “His passion for Australian wine and the Hunter Valley is evident in all that he does. He communicates frankly, which is endearing, and has been a mentor to countless people over the years. He has received many accolades, and it was time for Wine Communicators of Australia to tip our hat to Bruce Tyrrell with this 2025 NSW Legend of the Vine award.”
The awards lunch was the first time that the award event has been jointly hosted by Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) in partnership with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Tyrrell is the thirteenth person to receive the NSW Legend of the Vine Award. He joins a list that including Sally Evans, Liz Riley, Andrew Caillard MW, Sandra Przibilla, Lyndey Milan, Huon Hooke, Clive Hartley, Iain Riggs, Rob Hirst, David Lowe, Philip Laffer and Chris Anstee.
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Dining and Cooking