David O’Leary
Chairman of Judges
Chief Winemaker – O’Leary Walker Wines – Claire Valley, South Australia
Brent Marris
Director / Winemaker – The Ned Winery, Marlborough, New Zealand
A Marlborough original and a graduate from Roseworthy in 1983. Founder of Wither Hills Vineyard (1994) and winner of over 100 Gold Medals and Trophies. He is a Senior Wine Judge in New Zealand with a high profile both there and internationally. Brent has appeared at the Sydney International Wine Competition’s Panel and the Canberra International Riesling Challenge.
Ben Edwards
Journalist
Seven years Presidency of Sommeliers Australia, co-contributing to Australia’s most respected annual wine publication, the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion and twenty years experience of serving and talking about wine. Ben is currently Creative Director of Wine for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
Don Young
Senior White Winemaker – Orlando Wines
Don completed the Bachelor of Applied Science in Oenology at Roseworthy College in 1990 and joined Orlando Wyndham in 1992 at the Richmond Grove Winery in the Hunter Valley. In 1995 Don transferred to the Richmond Grove Winery in the Barossa Valley to the role of Winemaker and Cellar Manager working under the legendary Riesling Winemaker John Vickery. Over the following 10 years he had comprehensive and varied roles within the Orlando Wines winemaking department and in 2005 became responsible for Aromatic White wines with the Orlando Wines Key brands portfolio.
Jeni Port
Journalist
Jeni Port is the longest serving wine writer on The Age newspaper, Melbourne. She also wine writer for Winestate magazine, Wine Selector, Gourmet Traveller WINE and Australia and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker. Her books include Choosing Australian Wines; Crushed By Women: Women and Wine and she is the Australasian contributor to Dorling Kindersley’s Wines of the World. She is also a lecturer in wine communication at La Trobe University.
Toni Paterson
Journalist & Master of Wine
Toni Paterson is a wine writer, trained winemaker and Master of Wine, winning the the Madame Lily Bollinger medal for excellence in wine tasting. She adores Riesling, both in its youth and with age. “Riesling’s share intensity of flavour, as well as its ability to reflect the region in which it is grown, make it one of the world’s greatest grape varieties.”
Alexander Kohnen
Managing Director, International Wine Institute, Germany
Alexander is the Managing Director of the International Wine Institute, Germany, member of the Board of Directors of the International Riesling Foundation (IRF), USA and a member of the Board of the German Sommelier Association, Germany. Alexander is a wine writer and journalist, member of nationall and international wine juries and promoter and organiser of the “International Pinot Noir Symposium” in Germany.
