AUSTRALIA’S INAUGURAL SWEET WINE SYMPOSIUM KICKS OFF IN OCTOBER

Australia’s first Sweet Wine Symposium is being held in the Margaret River region on October 20th and 21st to celebrate the diversity of sweeter style wine varieties being produced ‘down under’. 
This inaugural event is taking place at Happs Wines and the launch event will feature 20 sweet wine category stations located throughout the winery for tasting. There will be Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Sparkling, Pinot Gris, Rosé, Late Harvest and Botrytis styles, as well as Port, Moscato, Liqueurs and Vermouth, to name a few.
A strong contingent of wines from across Australia is expected at the event and the entry cost of $30 will include branded glassware, a ‘People’s Choice’ vote for each category, prizes and much more.
Meet with the winemakers and marketing experts on the Sunday to participate in a masterclass and discover the incredible evolution of sweet wines in Australia. The weekend program will be rounded off with an extravagant sweet wine paired lunch, showcasing the many flavours that can be successfully matched with these styles.
According to Happs Wines Manager, Leah Clearwater, the event is inspired by the need to increase the awareness and acceptance of sweet wines to the greater wine loving community. “Surprisingly, there is no other event like it in Australia yet the enjoyment of sweet wines is celebrated daily around the world. I believe this will bring sweet-wine-lovers out in numbers and we look forward to joining with other Aussie producers to reveal some of the incredible sweet wines being produced out there”.
Sweet wines are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed chilled on a summer’s day, with a spicy curry, or at the evening’s end with cheese and crackers.
Wineries such as De Bortoli, All Saints, Brown Brothers, Gramps, Seppeltsfield and Morris have helped forge Australian’s long and distinguished history in sweet wine production. Today, Australia is recognised internationally for its production of some of the world’s finest Riesling, Dessert, Muscat, Vintage and Tawny fortified wines.
Sweet wines are often associated with the older generation, but those perceptions are changing as producers market their wines in innovative ways with interesting varietals. This symposium will help consumers re-connect with Australia’s sweeter wines, which are seeing good growth in both the domestic and international retail markets.
Katherine Brown, Assistant Winemaker and Brand Ambassador for Brown Brothers Milawa said “I think this is a great initiative as we need to ensure that sweet wines are taken seriously. Of course, we can still drink them for the good fun that they are but understand that it takes a lot of time and skill to make this style of wine.
Currently one of the bestselling white wines in Australia is a Moscato style wine and this fact is overlooked by many of the industry as it is not taken as a serious wine. Bringing industry and consumers together to discuss and enjoy these wines is going to be a fabulous event for all that get involved.”