Impact of the LET — Len Evans Tutorial

The Impact of the Len Evans Tutorial

In 2024, the Len Evans Tutorial, with support from our patron Basil Sellers AM, surveyed the Australian wine industry to understand the impact the Tutorial has had on the wine industry and the Australian wine show system in its 20-plus year history. In short, we want to ensure we achieve what Len set out to do.

More than 165 members of the Australian wine industry contributed to the survey, spanning members of the media, regional wine show directors, and heads of industry bodies, in addition to LET Scholars, Tutors, Sponsors and Board Members. More than 92% of the respondents have been active in the Australian wine industry for 10+ years, giving the LET team a deep insight into the program's impact since it was founded.

What we’ve learnt:

91% of respondents agree the Len Evans Tutorial has positively impacted the quality of Australia's wine show judging system.

94% of respondents agree that the Len Evans Tutorial has positively impacted improving the calibre of wine show judges in Australia.

80% of respondents agree the Len Evans Tutorial has positively impacted the quality of Australian wine.

79% of respondents agree that the Australian wine show judging system is in a better place today than it would be without the Len Evans Tutorial.

80% of respondents agree that the Australian wine industry is in a far better position today than it would be without the Len Evans Tutorial.

explore the survey results

The Australian Wine Industry Awards - Maurice O'Shea Award

In 2016, The Len Evans Tutorial was honoured with the Australian wine industry's most prestigious accolade – the McWilliam's Maurice O'Shea Award. This recognition reaffirms the Tutorial's outstanding contribution to the wine industry, and we are proud to continue our mission of fostering excellence in Australian wine education.

McWilliam’s CEO Jeff McWilliam says the Len Evans Tutorial is a deserving recipient of the McWilliam’s Wines Maurice O’Shea Award.

“The tutorial plays a significant role in identifying and investing in talented professionals in wine, vineyard, hospitality and sales that are helping to shape the future of Australian wine. I congratulate the trustees and tutors on receiving this award and thank them for their contribution to its success,” Jeff McWilliam said.

What our Dux Say

“The tutorial meant a great to deal nearly 20 years ago and still today. It really opened the door the wine show judging that had previously been a closed shop to young judges, since then I have judged at every capital city wine show, having the honour of also chairing a couple. Getting that start at a relatively young age has also strengthened my resolve to continue to give opportunities to up and coming young judges.”

— Tom Carson, 2001 LET Dux
"I feel that my time at the tutorial has profoundly changed my understanding and approach to winemaking (and drinking). It has encouraged me to see and seek the enormous myriad of wines, styles and winemaking techniques that make up great wines around the world and use this knowledge in my everyday winemaking in an attempt to make great wines myself."

— Hamish Seabrook, 2004 LET Dux
"The week is always different and amazing it has kept growing and adapting with the calibre of the wines always on point. I look back at the photos of myself in 2006 and the emotion is still so real. As a young female it threw me head first into the world of Wine show judging I loved it then and I still love it."

— Liz Silkman, 2006 LET Dux
"It was an honour to finally get in, I had been applying for years and was grateful to finally get a look in. The tasting environment with the tutors and other scholarship winners provides a special education experience – the diversity of knowledge in the room is great, multi layered! The wines test you, delight you and blow your mind. It then opens many doors afterwards."

- Sue Bell, 2007 LET Dux
“Experience an unforgettable wine education with the steepest incline, taste some of the world's most exceptional wines in context, create remarkable memories, and form great friendships..”

- Adam Wadewitz, 2009 LET Dux
“Probably one of the great highlights of 09 were the life long friendships that have grown from the LET week. But, the blind tasting, ‘Options’ during the evening dinners were also most memorable.”

- Stuart Halliday, 2009 LET Dux
“Being at the tutorial was a chance to understand more about the wines and wine people of Australia – who/what had gone before me and what was happening now. I remember a lot of discussion about what was to come too, and it shone a light on how important it is to strive (without trying too hard) to make great wines that respect the soil by not damaging it nor speaking too loudly over the top of it. It also taught me in my day job that it’s important to act as a connection between farmer and consumer and to work harder at supporting/buying wine from good people who make good wine and who are good to the earth.”

- Liam O’Brien, 2010 LET Dux
"Even though I managed to come away with the Dux of my year (I still refer to it as my Steven Bradbury moment), for me, getting into LET itself was the prize and it was the culmination of many years spent working across the wine industry and many years sending in applications!! It was a chance to challenge myself, not only against my fellow scholars but within; a chance to express arguments for and against certain wines based on my own experience and assessment and a chance to gauge where the famous bottles across the history of Australian wine sat against their esteemed European cousins."

-Dave Brookes, 2011 LET Dux
"The tutorial was a way of getting a stronger foot in the door for show judging opportunities. It’s the ultimate blind tasting experience that really hones your knowledge and understanding of what is expected of a judge and how to really asses and reward quality, a benchmarking experience like no other.."

— Matt Brooke, 2014 LET Dux
"The opportunity to contrast and compare the finest Australian wines with the great wines of the world, combined with the experience, knowledge and generosity of the tutors; the camaraderie with my fellow scholars, it all combines to make the greatest week in my wine career. Representing the Hunter Valley as also a real thrill. One of the great institutions in Australian Wine and long may it reign."

— Stuart Hordern, 2016 LET Dux
"Hard to qualify what the Tutorial meant to me. Life changing. Challenged my assessment of my knowledge of the world of fine wine, which reset my internal benchmark of the aspirational quality of the wines I help to produce. Also gave me perspective of my place in the large history of Australian wine, something I found very grounding and again motivating. The collegiate nature of the week was greater than I could have predicted and the friendships born from one week seem eternal."

— Julian Grounds, 2017 LET Dux
"From a learning perspective, it was amazing to benchmark wines made at Peter Lehmann against some of the best wines in the world, and to think a little deeper and more broadly about the styles of wine we are making now and into the future. To taste and learn alongside some of Australia’s (and the worlds) greatest wine industry people was also incredibly humbling. I loved every minute!"

— Tim Dolan, 2018 LET Dux
"It is the best opportunity I have ever had to refine my tasting skills and listen and learn from some of the best minds and palates in the business. Both tutors and fellow scholars were sources of inspiration and knowledge."

— Adam Walls, 2019 LET Dux