WCA Awards d'Arry Osborn 'Legend of the Vine'

Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) has just awarded d’Arry Osborn with 2016 South Australian Legend of the Vine at the WCA Royal Adelaide Wine Show Awards Lunch, in the presence of 300 industry peers.

Having spent his lifetime of almost 90 years immersed in the wine industry, d’Arry has been recognised as an individual who has contributed substantially to Australian wine.

In 1943, 16-year-old d’Arry began helping his father run the vineyard and winery after school. This seems a demanding job for a teenager, but d’Arry was equal to it and gradually took over the management of the business, assuming full management control following his father’s passing in 1957.

WCA Chair, Angus Barnes, said of the ad’Arry’s dedication, “In his 90 years with d’Arenberg, d’Arry has been unwavering in his commitment to sharing and engaging consumers around the world over 70 consecutive vintage.”

In 1978, d’Arry was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal. 1995 saw d’Arry invested as a Patron of the Australian Wine Industry in, “Honour of an outstanding contribution to the affairs of the Australian Wine Industry”, two years after completing his 50th consecutive vintage in 1993. 1995 also saw d’Arenberg proudly released its most well-known wine, previously just called “Burgundy” for more than four decades, simply as “d’Arry’s Original Shiraz- Grenache”, named in honour of d’Arry and his half a century of winemaking achievement.

Barnes continued, “d’Arry’s wines of the 60’s gained cult status amongst over the year, with the 1968 Cabernet Sauvignon winning the coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy in 1969 and the 1967 Red Burgundy, a Grenache-based wine, went on to be awarded 7 trophies and 29 Gold Medals at Australian capital city wine shows.”

d'Arry's list of contributions to the Australian wine industry is endless. For 28 years, he served as Councillor on the South Australian Chamber of Commerce, Foundation member and chair of the McLaren Vale Wine Bushing Festival, and Chair of the McLaren Vale Winemakers Association.

On receiving the Legend of the Vine award, d’Arry said, “To be recognised today by Wine Communicators of Australia for my own role in the Australian wine industry is a high point in my career.”

“I may have had the good fortune to be born with wine in my blood, but my passion for the product, for growing the grapes, for making the wine and, particularly, for stimulating these passions in others, has been a deeply personal and satisfying life’s journey.”

As Legend of the Vine, d’Arry joins a prestigious list of peers, including  WCA Patron James Halliday, Rob Hirst, Patrick Iland, David Lowe, Phil Laffer, Chris Anstee, Ross Brown, Colin Cambell, Iain Riggs and Bill Hardy. d’Arry will now also become a life member of WCA.

(You may also be interested in Vin de Champagne Award Winners 2016)