The Embassy of Australia, together with Wine Australia, invites you to explore the diversity and complexity of our continent of wine.
- 11:00am – 12:30pm: Trade Seminar (Limited Seating)
- 12.30pm – 3:30pm: Trade Walkaround Tasting
- Cost to attend: Free
Wine Australia’s Head of Education, Mark Davidson, will host a History, Evolution and Revolution seminar with guest winemakers Malcolm Leask (Hither & Yon), Brad Hickey (Brash Higgins) and Elena Brooks (Dandelion Vineyards). The discussion will focus on the importance of old vines, farming practices and how Australian wine styles are evolving.
The walkaround tasting will feature over 50 producers, across more than 20 regions, showcasing a broad range of varieties and styles, from classic wines and old vines to innovative expressions of modern Australian wine.
Please register to confirm your attendance, and we look forward to hosting you on May 13. Seating for the trade seminar is limited, and will be confirmed by Wine Australia email.
On-Premise Trip Incentive
Are you an on-premise wine buyer eager to learn more about Australia’s wine scene? Ready to be surprised and captivated by the quality and diversity of Australian wine on a trip hosted by Wine Australia? If you are located in Washington D.C., Toronto or Montreal, read on to find out how to secure your spot.
Simply attending the trade show in your home city completes one of the criteria for your trip entry. We also ask you to let us know how you would utilize a visit to Australia to raise the profile of Australian wine.
Entry requirements and further details
We look forward to seeing you in May 2025!
Seminar Panelists
Malcom Leask
Hither & Yon expresses the care and creativity of our Leask family estate vineyards in beautiful McLaren Vale, sustainably grown and artisan made. Our passion is simple, the wines are tension releasing, lush and fresh, balanced and soulful, delicious with food. Our journey travels local to global, increasing our brand value and story reach. Our family motto is “by virtue, I grow” - we don’t want to be fashionable; we just want to see what is possible.
Elena Brooks
Elena Brooks, Founder and Chief Winemaker, left her native Bulgaria to study oenology in Australia where she earned a Bachelor of Science in oenology from the University of Australia. Though Australia remains her adopted viticultural home, she has crafted wines in Spain, Italy and Bulgaria. Highly skilled and experienced, Elena has a long list of accolades including being part of the team that crafted Geoff Merrill Reserve Shiraz 2004, which in 2005 earned Australia’s highest winemaking award: the coveted Jimmy Watson Memorial. Recently, in 2020, Dandelion Vineyard has been awarded New World Producer of the Year at the prestigious Sommelier Wine Awards, UK. In October 2021, Elena Brooks has been awarded Bushing Monarch at the McLaren Wine Show for the 2020 Lion's Tooth of McLaren Vale Shiraz Riesling.
Brad Hickey
Brash Higgins is the label of winemaking American-turned-honorary-Aussie, Brad Hickey. In his former life, Hickey was one of America's top sommeliers, crafting some of New York's finest wine lists. He came to Australia and fell in love with McLaren Vale and local vigneron Nicole Thorpe, with whom he now produces highly characterful, minimalist wines from their much loved Omensetter vineyard. Hickey's wines are extremely expressive. They fall in two camps - the wines sourced from Omensetter vineyard and those sourced from friends around McLaren Vale and the warm, dry Riverlands.
Mark Davidson
Born in London and raised in Sydney, Mark has over 35 years of experience in the hotel, restaurant and wine business. During his 15 years as a sommelier, he was named Sommelier of the Year at the Vancouver Wine Festival in 2001 and won the Spirited Industry Professional in 2014. Following his experience as a sommelier, Mark has produced numerous wine education and restaurant etiquette courses. As a Department Head and Instructor with the International Sommelier Guild, he was instrumental in the on-going development of the curriculum and has taught classes in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. Mark joined Wine Australia in 2009 and he has been in the Education team since 2013. Outside of his day-to-day role, he is also an annual judge at Texsom International Wine Awards, Sunset Magazine and LA International wine competitions.