AWIWA 2018 to gather women in wine together in one place for the first time in Australia.All the winners to be announced at Australia’s first ever Women in Wine Symposium on 16 November.
Today the advisory board of the Australian Women in Wine Awards (AWIWA) announced that, after a successful show on the road in London last year, the awards are back home for 2018, and will be taking place on Friday 16 November in conjunction with Australia’s first ever Women in Wine Symposium.
The one-day event will also include a formal presentation ceremony announcing the 2018 award winners and will be held at the world-famous Quay Restaurant in Sydney with a spectacular harbour backdrop.
It’s the first time the awards have had an Australian based ceremony. Previously the awards have been announced virtually via livestream technology, before having their first actual presentation ceremony in London in 2017.
“The incredible success we had in London last year, with 60 Aussie women in wine flying over, means the world’s attention is now on us, and Australia is rightly regarded as an industry leader in the fight for gender equality,” said AWIWA founder and chair Jane Thomson. “The AWIWA are now in their fourth year, so it’s only right we continue the momentum with a fabulous event on home soil!”
The Australian Women in Wine Awards – which are owned and operated by The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society and conducted with the assistance of an advisory board of industry leaders – works to celebrate and reward the work of women in the Australian wine community, and community leaders who champion equality and fairness for all sexes in the workplace. Previous winners include Prue Henschke (Viticulturist of the Year, 2016), Sue Hodder (Woman of Inspiration, 2017) and Iain Riggs, Brokenwood (Workplace Champion of Change, 2016).
The Australian Women in Wine Symposium event on 16 November will comprise:
• A morning of leading speakers and panel sessions (full itinerary to be advised).
• Announcement of the 2018 Australian Women in Wine award winners over a three-course lunch.
Space for the symposium / awards day is limited and offered on a first come, first served basis. Registrations will be open soon.
The following day, Saturday 17 November, the AWIWA have partnered with Revel Global (formerly Bottle Shop Concepts) to run ‘Daughters of Winearchy,’ a consumer tasting event focused on Australian women in wine. Any winery with a female winemaker or owner/operator or viticulturist is invited to be a part of this event. However, it is a requirement that to be included in the event the female winemaker/operator/viticulturist must attend the event in person to pour their wines. Expressions of interest can be made here.
Entries for the AWIWA 2018 open on Tuesday 10 July, and there are eight award categories on offer:
Winemaker of the Year
Viticulturist of the Year
Owner / Operator of the Year
Marketer of the Year
Workplace Champion of Change
Researcher of the Year
Cellar Door Person
Woman of Inspiration (Judges Choice)
More information on the Australian Women in Wine Awards, which are now in their fourth year, can be found at www.WomeninWineAwards.com.au.
PHOTOGRAPH: Six of the 2017 winners in London including Coonawarra’s own Sue Hodder Winemaker at Wynns, from left to right: Virginia Wilcock, Sue Hodder, Jennifer Doyle, Ebony Tinkler, Sarah Ahmed, Sarah Collingwood
