(You may also be interested in the Australian Hotels Association National Awards for Excellence).
The awards also honour Australia's long-standing and important relationship with France's famous region; our market is now the sixth largest importer of Champagne in the world. In 2015 alone, Australia imported 8,110,106 bottles of Champagne, representing a 24.3 per cent increase from 2014.
Organised on behalf of the Comité Champagne, the awards are presented to an individual within the Professional category (an individual gaining an income working in the food and wine industry) and an Amateur (an experienced taster with a passion for Champagne).
The winner of the Professional category was Cameron O'Keefe, sommelier at Centra, Victoria while Nicky Goodyer, a florist from Aahh Flowers in New South Wales was named the winner of the Amateur category.
O'Keefe said commenting on his award, "I think Australia is in a great position in the Champagne world. From six years ago when I first entered, we are now drinking three times the amount of Champagne."
Goodyer said, "I'm humbled...I'm very passionate about protecting the Appellation."
To be considered for the State Finals, entrants had to submit answers to essay questions about Champagne's history, viticulture, and winemaking, as well as display a knowledge of the organisation of the Champagne industry. The finalists were then flown to Sydney where a panel of experts judged the entrants' skills in a blind tasting of Champagnes. This year's judges included wine writer Huon Hooke, 'The Wine Man' Peter Bourne, and author and Champagne educator Bernadette O'Shea.
The awards open up new opportunities within the Champagne industry for the winners and each offers a two-week educational tour through the Champagne district where the winners are presented with their medal by the Comité Champagne.
Tom Warrell, winner of the amateur category of the 2014 Vin de Champagne Award and the youngest ever winner of the award said, "There is no better way to celebrate the world of Champagne than by providing Amateurs and Professionals alike a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the region with unparalleled access. I’d recommend anyone with an interest in wine to take part in this great program."
The other five finalists of the Professional category included Peta Baverstock (SA), Cellar Door Manager, Loaves & Fishes; Samantha Faircloth (QLD), Area Manager, Negociants Australia; Anja Lewis (WA), Wine Training and Consulting, Canny Grapes; Kara Maisano (VIC), sommelier, Masani Italian Dining & Terrace; and Saskia Valenti (WA), Jane Brook Estate Wines.
The other four finalists of the Amateur category included Tim Health (NSW), Marketing Operations, Telstra; Sara Underdown (SA), Corporate Writer; Nicole Smith (QLD), Practice Manager, Sunshine Eye Clinic; and Michael Solomons (NSW), CEO, The Queens Club.
Peter Bourne said that each of the finalists would make a great ambassador
“After forty-plus years, these awards continue to reveal an intriguingly diverse cross-section of Champagne palates, in both the amateur and the professional classes. We are witnessing a growing collective of Champagne lovers in Australia, evidenced in the calibre of candidates entering the awards and the ambassadorial work former winners are carrying out in every state,” said Elisabeth Drysdale, Director of the Champagne Bureau.
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