Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) announced Wolf Blass AM as the 2026 South Australian ‘Legend of the Vine’ on Friday (9 October) at the Royal Adelaide Wine Awards Lunch.
The SA Legend of the Vine Award is presented by Wine Communicators of Australia to recognise a South Australian who is of excellent character, who is held in high regard by their peers in the world of wine, and who has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian wine industry. The recipient must also demonstrably share WCA’s values on the importance of developing and inspiring excellence in how they communicate about wine.
Wolf Blass is an outstanding Legend of the Vine, as he is a passionate wine communicator—someone who has taken the Australian wine message to the world, with clarity, conviction, and no shortage of personality.
Wolf started his wine journey in Germany, where he completed a Certificate in Viticulture and Winemaking in 1952, followed by a Diploma in Oenology in 1954, and a Kellermeister qualification in 1956. But Australia soon called—and in 1961 he moved to the Barossa, beginning a career that would reshape the Australian wine story forever.
In 1967, he introduced a colour‑coded tiered label system for his wines—Grey, Yellow, Red, Black, Platinum—making wine more accessible, less intimidating, and far easier for everyday drinkers to understand. This simple but brilliant communication breakthrough changed how Australians talked about wine.
His wines have dominated national awards, with over 10,000 wins, including an unprecedented three consecutive Jimmy Watson Trophies from 1974 to 1976—and again in 1999. No other producer has won it four times.
He has previously been recognised as a Baron of the Barossa, a Member of the Order of Australia, a Senior Australian of the Year finalist and received the Australian Export Hero Award.
And beyond the bottle, his philanthropic footprint is extraordinary, with major contributions to sporting, cultural, and community organisations across South Australia, and in 1994, on his 60th Birthday, he founded the Wolf Blass Foundation which now has a permanent home at the Wolf Blass Gallery & Museum in Hahndorf.
Upon being invited to accept the SA Legend of the Vine honour, Wolf said, “There is one spot left on the walls of my Gallery & Museum, so I know exactly where this certificate is going.”
Wolf is the twelfth South Australian to receive the SA Legend of the Vine Award. He joins a prestigious list that includes Prue Henschke, Jane Ferrari, Peter Hayes, Brian Croser AO, Pam Dunsford, Tony Love, Brian Walsh, d’Arry Osborne, Dr Patrick Iland OAM, and Bill Hardy OAM, who presented Wolf with the Award Certificate on Friday.
About the Legend of the Vine Award
The Legend of the Vine Award was first introduced in NSW in 2012 and to Victoria and South Australia since 2014 with annual awards issued in each of these states. The State Chapter Committee selects nominees from their state and propose their State recipient for that year, with the final winner decided by the WCA National Board.