London and Edinburgh were abuzz this month with more than 1000 people flowing through the doors of Wine Australia’s annual Australia Trade Tasting across the two cities.
Importers, buyers, sommeliers, media and wine educators braved the wintery conditions to experience first-hand the exciting range of Australian wines that is on offer to wine consumers in the UK.
Exploring familiar wine brands and new brands, vibrant whites to elegant reds, classic and emerging varieties; the wines poured at the tastings showcased a diverse range of wines and insight into Australia’s unique styles and regions.
More than 1000 wines from 200 producers were poured in London, while guests in Edinburgh had the opportunity to experience 400 wines from more than 70 producers.
Three master classes in London and two in Edinburgh were also held and explored:
- The Diversity of Beechworth presented by Julian Castagna, the trailblazing winemaker at cult winery Castagna, and Keppell Smith, winemaker at Savaterre, whose wines are rarely seen in the UK.
- Mornington Peninsula – Australia’s Pinot Coast presented by Martin Spedding, winemaker and owner of Ten Minutes by Tractor, an acclaimed Mornington Peninsula winery championing Australia’s cool climate wines.
- Inspirational Australia in which Ronan Sayburn MS, Head of Wine at 67 Pall Mall, presented some of the wines that most inspired him during his recent trip to Australia. (London only)
It was the first-ever Beechworth master class at Wine Australia’s Australia Trade Tasting. Delving into some of the region’s best wines from both iconic producers and emerging stars, guests tried classics such as Chardonnay and Shiraz and emerging varieties like Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.
Wine Australia’s Regional General Manager EMEA Laura Jewell MW said, ‘the Australia Trade Tasting provides a snapshot of our 65 unique wine regions and highlights the diversity of Australian wine. Unless you’re heading to Australia, the event is the best way for our local trade to get up-to-date with the category, meet the people behind the wines and taste exciting new releases.’
Running for more than 30 years, the Australia Trade Tasting in London is the biggest, brightest and most diverse showcase of Australian wine in the UK and is the largest annual tasting of Australian wine outside Australia.
