Evans’ overarching vision was to make Australia a truly great wine nation, by developing the wine-judging skills of the LET scholars.
The Tutorial Board of Trustees
The Board of Len Evans Tutorial Incorporated and Len Evans Foundation Ltd is made up of the following members who offer their time and expertise voluntarily.
Sally Evans - Chair
Wine marketer, communicator and consultant Sally Evans has wine in her blood as daughter of wine legend Len Evans. She has held a range of senior management positions in the wine, finance and digital industries, with a Master of Business Administration from Cranfield University (UK). Sally has been a Councillor of the RAS NSW since 2010, is currently on the RAS Board, and lead the Sydney Royal Wine Show Committee for 6 years. She has experience on a number of boards and committees in the public and not-for–profit sectors.
Sarah Crowe - Deputy Chair
Sarah Crowe is Winemaker and General Manager of the iconic Yarra Yering Vineyard in the Yarra Valley, Victoria. A late comer to the wine industry after a short career in Horticulture, Sarah began her wine career with vineyard work in the Hunter Valley. When progressing her career to Winemaker, Sarah completed international harvests in both Oregon and the Rhone Valley and was named Rising Star at the Hunter Valley Legends Awards in 2009. In 2010, she was a Len Evans Tutorial Scholar, which she described as ‘career changing’.
After moving to Yarra Yering in the Yarra Valley in 2013, Sarah was named James Halliday’s Winemaker of the Year 2017 and Gourmet Traveler Winemaker of the Year 2021. In the same year, Yarra Yering was named The Real Review’s Winery of the Year 2021 and James Halliday’s Winery of the Year 2022. Recently, and for the second time, Yarra Yering was named The Real Review’s Winery of the Year 2024.
A participant in the Future Leaders of the Australian Wine Industry program, Sarah enjoys giving back to the industry through leadership roles such as deputy chair of the board of The Len Evans Tutorial and vice president of the board of Wine Yarra Valley. A committed wine show judge since completing the Australian Wine Research Institute’s Advance Wine Assessment Course many years ago, Sarah is active in both regional and capital city wine shows and is the current Chair of Judges of the Sydney Royal Wine Show and the Adelaide Hills Wine Show.
James Halliday AM
James Halliday is Australia's most respected wine critic, wine writer and vigneron. He regularly judges at wine shows in Australia and overseas, and is a leading authority on all aspects of the wine industry. James has written or contributed to no fewer than 70 books on wine and has been widely published around the world.
As a founder of Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, and then Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, James provides perspective on the wine world from the planting and pruning of vines through to the creation and marketing of the finished product. His winemaking has led him to annual sojourns to Bordeaux and Burgundy where he owns a property.
In 1995 James was awarded the wine industry's ultimate accolade, the Maurice O'Shea Award and in 2010 James was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the wine industry.
Iain Riggs AM
Iain stepped back from day-to-day involvement at Brokenwood in mid-2020 after 38 years at the helm. Iain had taken Brokenwood from a small ‘hobby’ winery into the national and international arena, developing Brokenwood’s commitment to a program of regional blending from 1978 in an attempt to even out some of the more difficult Hunter Valley vintages as well as continuing a long-held tradition in Australian winemaking. Iain remains a Director, consultant and part owner.
Over a 35-year period of wine show involvement, Iain has been Chair of Clare Valley, Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Cowra Wine Shows, and judging in New Zealand and the USA. Not to mention, chairman of the Hunter Valley Wine Show for ten years, having taken over from Len Evans in 2002.
His strong interest in ‘improving the breed’ comes from the many years working with Len Evans at Australian wine shows, so it was no surprise that Riggs became the Chair of Trustees for the Len Evans Tutorial after Evans's death in 2006. Brokenwood has been a financial supporter of the LET since the first tutorial in 2001, and Riggs has worked alongside Evans, Halliday, Croser and McKenzie in fine-tuning such a one-of-a-kind wine school. In 2018, Iain was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his significant service to oenology as a Winemaker, to the development of the Australian wine industry, and to the promotion of the Hunter Valley region.
Sam Connew
A highly experienced and respected winemaker and consultant, Samantha Connew launched her Tasmanian solo project Stargazer in 2013. Prior to this, she was employed working in applied research, development and extension for the Australian Wine Research Institute as Manager of the Hunter Valley Node. She was the Winemaker/Manager of boutique Hunter Valley winery, Tower Estate, after working in McLaren Vale for ten years as the Senior Winemaker at Wirra Wirra Vineyards.
She has served on the boards of several regional associations and was a board member of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology and a founding advisory board member of the Australian Women in Wine Awards. She is currently a director on the Wine Tasmania Board and a mentor in the Wine Communicators of Australia Mentor Program. She has chaired many regional and capital city wine shows, having completed both the AWRI’s Advanced Wine Assessment Course and the Len Evans Tutorial, where she continues her involvement as a board member and tutor.
Michael Hill-Smith AM MW
In 1988, Michael became the first Australian to pass the Master of Wine examination and was awarded the inaugural Madame Bollinger Tasting Medal.
Michael is a co-founder of Shaw + Smith (Adelaide Hills), Tolpuddle Vineyard (Tasmania) and MMAD Vineyard (McLaren Vale) and has long been a champion of Australian fine wine. He was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in 2008 for his contribution to the Australian Wine Industry, featured on all three of Decanter’s International Power Lists, and was nominated for the WSET Outstanding Alumni Award 2017. A past Chairman of the Royal Adelaide Wine Show, he is currently Co-Chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards (UK).
In addition to the above, he is a wine consultant to Singapore Airlines, a Trustee of the Len Evans Tutorial and most recently, Chairman and Founder of The Tranche Scholarship, an annual travel scholarship that supports emerging leaders in the Australian wine and hospitality industry.
Tom Carson
Tom Carson is the chief winemaker at Yabby Lake Vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula. He attended the LET in 2002 and was awarded the Dux by the great Len Evans. Tom has subsequently judged at every capital city wine show and many regional shows. He has chaired the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards and the National Wine Show and is the chair of the Royal Brisbane Wine Show. He has also served on numerous wine show committees.
Winemaking highlights include the 2004 International Winemaker of the Year at the IWSC in London while chief winemaker at Yering Station and the 2013 Jimmy Watson Award at the RMWA, the first Pinot Noir to win in the award in 50-year history. He has worked numerous vintages in Burgundy and Champagne. Tom is also a fanatical golfer.
