Registrations are now open for the 14th annual Young Gun of Wine, designed to celebrate and showcase both young wine labels and winemakers on the rise.
Open to those making all forms of wine, from the experimental to the traditional, whether under their own label or employed by a wine company, head of the YGOW tasting panel, Nick Stock, is calling for a diversity of participants:
“The rising tide of interest, capability, ambition and quality in Australia’s emerging winemaking circles is what we are looking to bring together. It’s a gathering of many tribes; it forms and galvanises friendships and ideas. It’s empowering as much as it is a very good time.”
We want to see faces we’ve seen before, too.
YGOW is as much about creating a movement around wine, as it is about singling out individual producers. We’ve been hellbent on building exciting culture around wine for 14 years now, and to do that, we need winemakers to get involved.
As Damon Koerner echoes: “For me, the greatest benefit of participating in YGOW has been the people I have met and friends I have made. The events bring together the best emerging winemakers and young labels from all over the country. The more we interact and talk about what we are doing, the better we will all get, which will only improve the status of the Australian wine industry, and benefit all of us in the long run.”
It’s an opportunity for winemakers to get out of their regions and promote to consumers and trade (in each city there’s both a public event and a trade event on offer for winemakers), as well as develop relationships with fellow winemakers from around Australia.
If the trophies are your thing, then we say, “You need to be in it to win it!” The 2019 YGOW entered four times before walking away with a trophy. There are five winemaker trophies up for grabs in 2020: the BEST NEW ACT, PEOPLE’S CHOICE, WINEMAKER’S CHOICE, YOUNG GUN OF WINE and the First Drop DANGER ZONE (which goes to the most adventurous wine).
Damon will join the YGOW tasting panel in 2020. He knows what you’re going through.
Early bird registrations for the 2020 Young Gun of Wine are now open, with first choice of event options, until August 16.
For more details, please see: younggunofwine.com/registrations
Get amongst it here: trybooking.com/BDRVM
“Don’t underestimate the reach of YGOW! For a young, small West Australian producer like us, being part of the YGOW was invaluable exposure, particularly in the eastern states. With very few expectations prior to entering YGOW, it’s one wild ride that’s a lot of fun and is so important in terms of showcasing the breath of diversity of the young Australian winemaking landscape.”
Genevieve Mann, Corymbia
“For us, the experience of YGOW has been a wild ride. It really has rocketed our brand and boosted sales on the east coast.
“As part of the YGOW experience we gained some added publicity through state and national print media mentions which promoted our wine label, increased our mailing list, social media followers, enquiries, and ultimately sales.
“One of the best parts of our YGOW experience was meeting a whole bunch of intuitive and interesting winemakers who are really pushing boundaries and making delicious wines, along with making great contacts and friends along the way.”
Liv Maiorana & Mijan Patterson, South by South West
“What do I love about the YGOW awards? Absolutely everything! A wealth of passionate and free spirited Australian wine growers, an all-star industry leading judging panel and a series of fantastic nationwide events!”
Fraser McKinley, Sami-Odi
“YGOW is shaking new names out of the woodwork, encouraging creativity, and giving recognition to the cats filling bottles with amazing gear.”
Taras Ochota, Ochota Barrels
“I attended the events originally as a sommelier to find new wines for my venue’s list. The last three years I’ve started showing my wines at YGOW. And if I wasn’t attending in a professional capacity, I’d be there as a punter… Whoever you are, the events are the place for new Aussie wines.”
Liam O’Brien, sommelier at Cutler & Co, and winemaker at Athletes of Wine
“YGOW is a platform to put your brand on the national stage. Just being part of the showcase allows you access to pour at amazing venues to people who are genuinely interested in your wine and story. Progress further in the events, and many doors to the best trade in the country swing open to you.”
Rob Mack, Aphelion
The third instalment of the annual Vineyard of the Year Awards has been decided following a six month process that included site inspections of shortlisted finalists, with the judging panel reaching a consensus on the winners of the four trophies: New Vineyard of the Year; Old Vineyard of the Year; Innovative Vineyard of the Year, dubbed ‘The Groundbreaker’; and Vineyard of the Year.
Nick Dugmore, the ‘Vigneron’ trophy winner at the 2023 Young Gun of Wine Awards, was recently diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. Nick is just 38, and he has two young children with his wife, Bec. Nick is one of the nicest people in the wine game, generous of spirit and well loved. He is also a seriously talented grower and maker who has set his sights on championing his beloved region of Kangaroo Island, which rarely gets due attention.
This year marks the 18th annual edition of the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Since 2007, we’ve scoured the country for the best emerging talent, winemakers on the rise who are reshaping the wine landscape by creating their own no-compromise projects or reimagening established brands with a new vision. They’re the glitteringly bright future of Australian wine. The annual list has become the go-to guide for drinkers looking for cutting-edge wines. The Top 50 winemakers for 2024 have just been announced, and they’re an exciting lot.
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