A guest blog by AAVWS Committee Chair Ashley Ratcliff The American billionaire, Warren Buffett, once quoted ‘when everyone is brave be scared, and when everyone is scared be brave’. My take on this quote is, do the opposite of what everyone else does! During the 1990’s almost the entire Australian wine industry was brave… super […]
Wow. The Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show fellowship. What a great opportunity for a wine-obsessed storyteller. I am chuffed to jump aboard this juicy, alternative variety dreamboat. Ironically, I grew up surrounded by milk, not wine. I’ve pulled more udders than I’ve poured wine but a childhood spent on a dairy farm gave me an […]
Guest Blog by AAVWS Committee Member Mark Walpole So, what does a warming climate and the GFC have in common? Both have impacted the inland wine regions significantly over the past decade. Hotter and drier growing seasons; and a reduced demand for many of the traditional varieties planted during the wine boom of the 1990’s […]
Guest Blog by AAVWS Committee member Franco D’Anna Pinot Blanc as it’s known in France or Pinot Bianco in Italy is a white grape planted in regions like Alsace, Alto Adige and parts of Friuli. Quite recently, it has been planted to success in different regions in Australia. Pinot Blanc is now planted in Tasmania, […]
Guest Blog by 2016 AAVWS Fellow James Scarcebrook… From a young age I always attempted to avoid the mainstream, to be an individual. Little did I know that many years later as a wine professional and wine drinker, I would do the same thing! There is no better place to celebrate the alternative than at […]
The inaugural Sponsor-A-Variety has been selected – and the winner is Shavkapito which was nominated by Anna Hooper. Not heard of it? Neither had we. But read on to see Anna’s application which piqued our interest and hopefully yours too… Shavkapito Nominated by Anna Hooper I am head winemaker at Cape Jaffa Wines in Mt Benson where […]
We love to bandy about the claim that the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show is ‘More than just a wine show’ but what does that really mean? Well, of course we are in the (not-for-profit) business of critical assessment of wines against their peers in an unbiased environment. This is undertaken each year by a […]
James Scarcebrook “My name is James Scarcebrook and I’m thrilled to be the 2016 AAVWS Fellow. My entry into the industry was in retail back in 2004, and finding an affinity with selling and talking about wine, I decided to follow a vinous career path. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to work in a […]
By Adam Walls, the 2015 AAVWS Fellow From the outset, my time at the 2015 AAVWS was A +. Mildura put on a show! Postcard spring weather, country hospitality and top class food and wine. The weekend opened my eyes to the momentum that ‘alternative varieties’ are currently experiencing in Australia. The AAVWS is […]
Guest Blog by Stefano de Pieri Dr Rod Bonfiglioli – the viticulturist at Chalmers’ Nursery – came to see me on a cold winter night. He said he had a project and he needed my help. I was eager to talk to him. I heard about mysterious wine things going on in the heart […]
Changing the World
“The massive impact the AAVWS has had on wine production and consumption in Australia over the last 15 years is now flowing overseas as alternative varieties breathe new life into the UK market and add colour and excitement to the Australian offering.”
Ashley Ratcliff | President 2016 - 2020
