Experience Australia’s premium wine offering, taste the country’s most iconic wines, explore new trends, and meet the winemakers.
Australia began making wine over two centuries ago. This has given us a country rich in old vines, multi-generational winemaking families and an ingrained knowledge and respect of the craft. Add to that a yearning to explore and innovate, a fearless attitude and a diverse patchwork of 65 wine regions across many climates, and you have the makings of an extraordinary wine country like no other.
Australia is home to a highly-skilled winemaking community, which crafts premium wines of exceptional quality. These women and men aren’t usually ones to seek the spotlight, but they won’t shy away from brilliance either. Our distinctive terroirs, world-class vineyards and award-winning wines stand proud among the very best.
Rediscover, rethink and redefine Australian wine
Australia burst onto export markets in the 1980s and made a name for itself on vibrant wines of exceptional value. Australia now exports an extremely diverse range of wine styles at all price points across the world.
In 2019, more Australian wine is shipped to the UK than to any other market and Australia is the leading wine producing nation in the UK off-trade, with 23% market share. However, recent IRI figures show that Australia has only 3% of the £20+ segment (IRI Worldwide).
Focusing on wines over £20 RRP a bottle, Australia Redefined demonstrated the incredible breadth and depth of Australian wine and the amazing value for money you can find if you dig deeper. The tasting featured 200 wines from more than 70 wineries across Australia.
The event took place in the stunning surroundings of OXO2, a breathtaking contemporary space situated within the iconic OXO Tower on the South Bank of The Thames. More than 250 visitors attended from the UK wine trade, including buyers from multiple retailers and independent specialists, sommeliers, journalists and educators. After the trade master classes and trade tasting, around 150 wine enthusiasts and fine wine collectors joined us for the evening session.
Meet the Makers
Guests were able to shake hands with the personalities behind the bottles and discover first-hand the wines and stories that are shaping the Australian wine industry.
More than 20 Australian winemakers and winery owners flew over to London to present their wines. This eclectic group, ranging from winemaking legends to pioneering young guns, included Bruce Tyrrell (Tyrrell’s Wines), Chester Osborn (d’Arenberg), Robert Hill-Smith (Yalumba), Peter Barry (Jim Barry Wines), Johann Henschke (Henschke), Lauren Hansen (Penley Estate), Rebecca Santolin (Santolin Wines), Brad Hickey (Brash Higgins) and many more.
We were joined by eight of Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW), their first group visit to the UK since 2010. With over 1,300 years of winemaking experience, these family-owned producers demonstrated the history, provenance and quality of Australia's fine wines.
Download the list of winemakers and winery owners that attended
Programme
11.00 – 17.30 Trade tasting for drinks trade and media.
11.30 – 13.00 Australia’s First Families of Wine Unlocked panel.
14.00 – 16.00 Future Icons of Australian Wine seminar, presented by Andrew Caillard MW and Mike Bennie.
18.30 – 20.30 Consumer tasting.
Master class programme
Master classes
11:30 - 13:00 Australia’s First Families of Wine Unlocked panel
Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW) are the essence of premium Australian wine. With a long heritage of winemaking and ownership of some of the country’s most revered vineyards, they’re Australia’s oldest wine families and their craft has been honed over many generations. AFFW have unlocked their personal cellars and chosen special bottles from their own museum collections to share with UK trade. Taste the history behind these iconic wines, and explore the depth and breadth of aged Australian wine.
14:00 - 16:00 Future Icons of Australian Wine seminar
In this one-of-a-kind session with two Australian wine heroes, you’ll find out about the people, regions and styles shaping the country’s wine future. Andrew Caillard MW and Mike Bennie will present the twelve wines that they believe best showcase the diversity and evolution of Australian wine, and the pioneering spirit of our makers. The line-up features stark contrasts of wine styles and winemaking philosophies. From the rogue to the refined, these are some of the most diverse and thrilling Australian wines in the world. This is your chance to explore Australia’s historic and iconic wines as well as the alternative styles of today’s edgy wine scene.
Please email mailto:uk@wineaustralia.com if you are interested in attending a master class.