Retail Sales and Events Manager at City Wine Shop Melbourne, Adam Cotterell, has been named Dux of the 2015 Len Evans Tutorial.

As Dux of the course, Adam will now be guaranteed judging positions at two of Australia’s most premier wine shows, the Sydney Royal Wine Show and the National Wine Show in Canberra. Adam will be flown business class to London and then onto Europe with invitations to the greatest wine houses.

The Len Evans Tutorial is one of the most revered opportunities for Australian wine personnel, providing students with an all expenses paid, week-long immersive tasting of some of the rarest, oldest, and greatest wines, providing them with experience of the practical challenges of wine show judging. Scholars of the Len Evans Tutorial go on to grace the judging benches at all major wine shows across Australia.

This year, 12 students undertook the tutorial, mentored by James Halliday, Ian McKenzie, Iain Riggs, Gary Steel and Michael Hill Smith.

“This group highlighted the fact that the trustees recognise the ongoing need for high caliber wine show judges and that the industry now needs professionals that can take the premium Australian wine message to a greater audience”, Mr. Riggs said.

“These are the guys at the forefront of grape growing, winemaking and selling premium wine. The dramatic increase in sales of imported wine shows a sophisticated consumer. A better awareness of premium Australian wine and where it sits in relation to imported wine, is essential to the industry getting its message out to the world.”