Last night saw Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) announce the winners of the 2023 Wine Communicator Awards, including the overall Wine Communicator of the Year.

The annual Wine Communicator Awards recognises outstanding contribution to, and excellence in, wine communication in all its forms. Fifteen experienced and respected wine industry professionals were selected to judge the categories across a number of criteria. The judges were hugely impressed with the calibre of creativity, passion, and skill shown across a wide range of communication channels.

The category award winners are:

Best Wine Marketing Communication Campaign (Individual or Team)

  • Liquid Luxury by Stanton & Killeen

Best Wine Blog or Podcast

  • Wine with Meg + Mel Podcast

Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column

  • Tom Kline

Best Serial Wine Publication

  • The Quinta Quarterly by Stanton & Killeen

Best New Wine Book

  • How to Drink Australian by Jane Lopes & Jonathan Ross

Best Wine-Themed Event

  • Pinot Noir Celebration Australia 2023

Best Wine Communicator – Cellar Door

  • Jodhi Thoms, Elderton Wines

Best Wine Educator

  • Robin Shaw, Wine Tourism Australia

Best Wine Student

  • Cassidy Shaw, The University of Adelaide

Overall Winner

2023 Wine Communicator of the Year

  • Jane Lopes & Jonathan Ross (Authors – How to Drink Australian)

WCA Executive Chair, Angus Barnes commented, “Last night’s Awards ceremony was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate excellence in communication. Whilst the wine industry is experiencing some challenges write now, the ability to communicate widely and effectively is absolutely critical.  We wish to say a special thank you to everybody who applied in the 2023 Wine Communicator Awards. The calibre of entries continues to impress our judges. We would also like to thank our Award category sponsors for their support and commitment.”

“The Awards continue to be the most important event on the annual WCA calendar, recognising as it does excellence in many different facets of wine story telling.”

The overall Wine Communicator of the Year is chosen by the WCA Board from the category of winners. Previous winners have included the Cellar Door Team at Oliver’s Taranga, Trish Barry, Barossa Grape & Wine Association, Max Allen, Gill Gordon-Smith, Katie Spain, and Jeni Port.

This year, the Wine Communicator of the Year was awarded to Jane Lopes & Jonathan Ross. Their book, How to Drink Australian was described by the judges as perhaps the best example of this kind of book ever written. The fact that Jane and Jonathan are flying the flag for Australian Wine in the important US wine market is an added bonus. They possess that unique combination of education, both having passed the prestigious Master Sommelier exams, life experience, having curated fine dining wine lists in Australia and the US, before starting their own wine import business, as well as the ability to communicate and pass on that knowledge and passion.

Jane and Jonathan suggest ‘the Australian wine industry is every bit as deserving of the scholarship that the historic wine regions of Europe receive’. They went on to say that “There’s never been a more exciting time to drink Australian wine…. And it is perhaps the most exciting country in the world to be drinking from right now.”

Judges’ comments regarding the application were full of praise for not only the passion and enthusiasm of the team in telling the brand’s story, but also for the professionalism of the multi-channel approach the team had to ensuring that story transcended the physical experience.