Whirlwind tour boosts South Australia's wine capabilities
9 August, 2018
Three leading international wine experts recently visited South Australia in June in a bid to learn from their experience in wine production, education, hospitality and research and development, and the economic impact of wine related activities in their regions.
As fellow members of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network, the visitors - Clay Gregory, President/CEO, Visit Napa Valley (USA), Miguel Ribeiro, General Manager of Monverde Wine Experience Hotel (Porto, Portugal), and Jacques-Olivier Pesme, Dean, Wine and Spirits Academy and Associate Director at KEDGE Business School (Bordeaux, France) - have been on a whirlwind tour of the McLaren Vale, Barossa, Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek and the Riverland, meeting key members of South Australia's wine industry.
The jam-packed itinerary included workshops with regional wine industry representatives in each region they visited to share expertise and strategies for regional growth.
Miguel Riberio said it was fantastic to tour South Australia's renowned wine regions.
"It was a great opportunity to get to know the finest regions and the astonishing landscape, all this combined with a diverse range of tastes, excellent local products and high quality services - critical success factor in the hospitality industry," he said.
"The possibility of sharing and learning from each other's experiences and expertise is in reality the philosophy and engagement of the Great Wine Capital Global Network.
Clay Gregory said the visit was impressive.
"I've had the great privilege of visiting most of the Great Wine Capitals of the World over the past nine years and I must say that none of them were more impressive than what we have experienced in Adelaide," he said.
Jacques-Olivier Pesme said the experience showcased what South Australia's wine industry has to offer.
"Adelaide's wine region is a land of a different beauty, diverse micro climates and landscapes offering a wide spectrum of experiences reflected in its wines and lovely cellar doors," he said.
"Sharing experiences with industry professionals throughout the week with my friends Clay from Napa and Miguel from Porto is a perfect illustration of what the wine industry offers beautifully: learning from each other, tasting and commenting on the result of the unique equation of climate and soil conditions and even more important, human relation."