The Len Evans Tutorial Qantas Dux of 2009 has for the first time been awarded to two outstanding scholars - Stuart Halliday, Sommelier at Tetsuya’s Restaurant and Adam Wadewitz, Winemaker at Best’s Wines.

Stuart Halliday has been Sommelier/Assistant Manager at Australia’s number one restaurant – Tetsuya’s in Sydney since August 2007. Prior to that, he worked with Guillaume @ Bennelong, est Restaurant, M.G. Garage Restaurant and Bennelong Restaurant. 2009 has proved a successful year for Halliday as he also holds the title of 2009 Sommelier of the Year by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

Stuart Halliday shares a surname with Australia’s best wine guru and Len Evans course tutor – James Halliday. James is Stuart’s great uncle and it seems the ‘wine’ gene has carried through.

Adam Wadewitz brought 11 years of winemaking to the Len Evans tasting table. His experience comes from some of the great names in Australian wine including Wirra Wirra, Brokenwood, Petaluma and Shadowfax. Prior to being appointed to Best’s Wines, Great Western Victoria in 2005 he also worked vintages in the Napa Valley, USA and Jura, France.

As Dux of the 2009 course, Stuart and Adam have both been guaranteed judging positions at two of Australia’s most important Wine Shows, the National Wine Show in Canberra and the Sydney Royal Wine Show.

Stuart and Adam will also be flown business class courtesy of Qantas to London and then onto Europe with invitations to the greatest wine houses.

Many of the greatest, rarest and oldest wines were opened during the course from 2-6 November 2009 when 12 young(ish) Australian wine personnel were put to the sternest and most rewarding tastings of their lives.

Len Evans Tutorial convenor and tutor, Iain Riggs said; “This group been very successful in proving a higher level of wine appreciation that is both valuable and essential for wine judges. The 12 Len Evans graduates are inspiring professionals that can take the premium Australian wine message to a greater audience.

“These are the guys at the coal face of wine selling. The dramatic increase in sales of imported wine shows a sophisticated consumer. A better awareness of premium Australian wine and where it sits in relation to imported wine, is essential to the industry getting its message out to the world.”

Scholars from the past eight Tutorials are now gracing the judging benches at all major wine shows across Australia. The 2009 Sydney Wine Show featured two previous Len Evans Tutorial graduates on the Panel Chair, eight of the nine Australian Judges and all Associate Judges were also former students, including four Qantas Dux award winners. In addition, Tom Carson, Dux 2002, took on the Chairmanship of the National Capital Wine Show in Canberra from 2008.

Previous Scholars have come from the fields of winemaking, liquor retailing, restaurants, marketing and journalism.

Twelve fully paid scholarships are offered each year. The scholarships come with wine, food and accommodation valued at around $9000.

The only cost incurred by the scholars is physically getting to the Hunter Valley.

The Tutors for the 2009 Len Evans Tutorial were James Halliday, Ian McKenzie, Iain Riggs, Gary Steel and Tim James.