Vineyard sunrise 2023

Mount Barker & District
Agricultural Society (Inc.)

TUE 10 – THU 12
OCTOBER 2023

2022 Sanector 45th Wine Show of Western Australia

When & Where

Judging Tuesday 11 – Thursday 13 October 2022

Sounness Park Mount Barker WA

For Exhibitors

Please enter the show via ShowRunner. If you already have an account, please check your contact details and update as required. We need to have current contact emails to send the labels for your entries.

Chief Judge

Courtney Treacher

Searching for a career with a difference Courtney studied a Bachelor of Science (Viticulture and Oenology) through Western Australia’s Curtin University. Courtney worked brief stints in the vineyards of the Perth Hills and Swan Valley before doing vintages in Margaret River at Redgate Wines and in the Hunter Valley at Tamburlaine Wines.

Courtney has long been a part of the Houghton Winemaking team, racking up 17 vintages across the Houghton Swan Valley and Nannup sites. In 2013 Courtney was appointed the winemaker responsible for Brookland Valley Wines. Courtney continues to enjoy being part of a dynamic team and the challenge of making wines of varied styles under the Houghton, Brookland Valley, Goundrey, Amberley and Moondah Brook ranges.

Courtney has been involved in wine show judging at a number of local and national wine shows, and was a scholar at the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2011. An experience she describes as once in a lifetime.

Panel Chairs

Andrew Spinaze

Andrew is Senior Winemaker for Tyrrells based in the Hunter Valley completing over 40 vintages in the Hunter Valley alone. In that period Andrew has seen how stylistically how the industry has evolved.

He has been involved in the show system for over twenty odd years both regional and capital city shows. QANTAS Gourmet Traveller Finalist in 1999 and winner 2004 along with Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year 2007.

Damian Hutton

Damian is Nikola Estate’s Chief Winemaker and General Manager. He has recently returned to the vineyards he once weeded under the watchful eye of his uncle, Ron Page, who was Houghton’s Vineyard Manager.

Damian headed winemaking operations at Millbrook Winery from 2007 where he created regional wines from fruit sourced from all premium Western Australian wine growing regions. These wines won gold medals in every capital city wine show in Australia and every regional wine show in WA.

Currently building Nikola’s core wine offering from a small estate range, Damian is scouring the West Australian wine landscape in order to produce a portfolio of wines that reflects the greatness that lies in the diversity of Western Australia.

Kim Bickley

A CMS Certified Sommelier, WSET educator and wine show judge, Kim Bickley has been referred to as one of the top Sommeliers in the country. Having more than 20 years experience in the industry, curating award-winning wine lists for restaurants such as Glass Brasserie (Hilton Sydney) and Black by Ezard (The Star Casino Sydney) & Salt Grill.

Kim has worked as brand ambassador for Bollinger, Henschke and Petaluma, was a Len Evans and Sommeliers Australia Tutorial Scholar in 2009, attended AWRI’s Advanced Wine Assessment Course in 2015 and is now a member of the Wine Selectors Tasting Panel.

Having relocated to the Hunter Valley in 2016 to join her partner Andrew Thomas (Thomas Wines), she is now working as a consultant sommelier and is excitingly on the cusp of opening a cutting-edge wine accessories store in Pokolbin.

Judges

Rob Mack

Rob Mack is the winemaker and co-owner with wife Louise of Aphelion Wine Co. based in McLaren Vale. Established in 2014, Aphelion has quickly gained a strong reputation for quality and value with a strong focus on Grenache. Aphelion has been awarded trophies at several wine shows, including winning the Young Gun of Wine award and taking out the trophy for Best Small Producer in McLaren Vale at the McLaren Vale Wine Show. Rob is shortlisted for the 2023 Halliday Winemaker of the Year award.

Rob is a Bachelor of Wine Science graduate from Charles Sturt University (and took out the University Prize for Sparkling Wine Production), and is an active wine show judge at both regional and capital city shows. He completed the AWRI Advanced Wine Assessment Course and was a scholar of the Len Evans Tutorial in 2019. He has completed the Wine Scholar Guild French Wine Scholar program (graduating with Highest Honours) and is commencing Master of Wine studies in 2023.

Foni Pollitt

Foni is an award-winning sommelier, restaurateur and WSET wine educator who is also behind one of Perth’s top restaurants, Mayfair Lane Pub and Dining Room.

Mayfair Lane took out the prestigious Jury Prize at the World of Fine Wine Awards in London in 2019.

Foni was awarded the WA Good Food Guide Sommelier of the Year in 2018 and is in the process of obtaining a Masters of Wine.

Foni loves sharing her passion for wine with students, taking her guests on a journey, and encouraging everyone to discover their own tastes and preferences.

Megs Kopke

Megs is the founder and owner of Morevino, an online wine store specialising in alternative varieties.

Megs is a graduate of Charles Sturt University and over the past 20 years has been involved in wine making, wine education, wine show judging, and wine retail.

Megs spent seven years as Chief Steward for the Geographe and Western Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. She has previously judged at the Perth Royal Wine Awards, Margaret River Wine Show, Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, Geographe and WA Alternative Varieties Wine Show.

Andrew Dawson

Andrew began his professional life as a teacher, but a passion for wine got the better of him.

While on a nine-year stint living in Hong Kong, he completed his WSET Diploma and subsequently taught wine appreciation classes. In 2015 Andrew moved to Margaret River to study at Curtin University. Despite originating ‘over east’ he now calls Margaret River home and is totally besotted with the region and its wines.

As well as vintages in Margaret River, he’s also completed harvests in the Napa Valley and Oregon in the USA; the Rheinhessen in Germany and the Victoria’s Yarra Valley.

Andrew is a firm believer in the value of the wine show system and has been involved with judging at the Margaret River, Blackwood Valley and Timber Towns Wine Shows. While studying at Curtin he won ‘Sensory Award’ for best sensory student in his year.

Julian Langworthy

Julian is regarded as one of the most talented winemakers in Australia with awards such as James Halliday’s Winemaker of the Year, a Jimmy Watson Trophy winner, Ray Jordan’s Winemaker of the Year, and a Wine Society Young Winemaker of the Year nominee. His impressive career has included vintages in France and Canada, as well as senior winemaking roles in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Coonawarra.

Passionate about producing regionally distinctive wines, Julian joined the Deep Woods team in 2011. Under his leadership, the winemaking team has continued to refine and explore the Deep Woods style, culminating in more than 60 trophies and 200 gold medals awarded across major national and international wine shows.

Charlie Seppelt

Charlie is a Senior Winemaker for the Randall Wine Group based in McLaren Vale completing his 34th Vintage this year. Since 2001, he has participated in vintages nationally and internationally including Barossa Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Hawkes Bay, Hermitage, Hunter Valley, Marlborough, McLaren Vale & Napa Valley.
A 2013 Len Evans Scholar, AWAC scholar and now panellist with 13 years as judge/panel chair or chair of show including Clare Wine Show, Adelaide Hills Wine Show, Adelaide Review Hot 100, Adelaide Wine Show, Sydney Wine Show, Brisbane Wine Show, The National Wine and Langhorne Creek Wine Shows. Together with wife Skye, he realised a long term dream of their own McLaren Vale based wine brand, Paralian Wines in 2018.