The Len Evans Tutorial has won the Australian wine industry’s most prestigious accolade – the McWilliam’s Maurice O’Shea Award.
Held every two years, the Maurice O’Shea Award recognises an individual or group for their outstanding contribution to the wine industry.
Conceived by the late Len Evans AO OBE, The Len Evans Tutorial has played a significant role in shaping so many of both present and future wine industry leaders.
The award was accepted by Sally Evans, Iain Riggs and Ian McKenzie in front of more than 400 guests at a gala dinner in Adelaide on behalf of the remaining trustees of the Len Evans Foundation, James Halliday, Brian Croser and Basil Sellers.
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.
Held in the Hunter Valley, the annual five-day Tutorial exposes 12 selected scholars to the great wines of the world, young and old. The scholars are given the opportunity to experience the demands of wine show judging in a series of blind tastings, masterclasses and judging sessions, alongside a number of the nation’s top wine experts.
Described by James Halliday as “the most exclusive wine school in the world”, scholars of the tutorial often go on to judge at major wine shows across Australia. In fact, four of the Capital City wine shows are currently being chaired by past scholars. After 15 years, there are some 180 scholars contributing in many areas across the industry today.
The Len Evans Tutorial celebrates the richness of Australian wine, its place in the world and those who embrace it. It allows its tutors to taste some of the greatest wines ever produced.
For the first time, the Maurice O’Shea Award Dinner was held in conjunction with the Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, which began on Sunday and will conclude tomorrow, at the Adelaide Convention Centre and incorporates the WFA Outlook Conference.
AWITC Chair, Dr Dan Johnson commented “The opportunity to align the Maurice O’Shea Award Dinner with the 16th AWITC and Outlook has brought an extra dimension to the conference week. It’s exciting that so many AWITC delegates were able to attend the dinner to mark our industry’s most prestigious award”.