Latest

South Australians among elite 12 chosen for ‘greatest wine school in the world’

By Danika Zalac

Posted on August 13, 2025

Four South Australians have been selected among 12 national scholars for the prestigious 2025 Len Evans Tutorial.

Add Glam Adelaide as a preferred source on Google

The Len Evans Tutorial, often named one of the greatest wine schools in the world, has announced its twelve Australian wine professionals to participate in its 2025 program. Now in its 23rd year, the program will see these twelve Aussie industry leaders take part in an intensive week of training, tasting, and mentorship at Spicers Guesthouse in the Hunter Valley this November.

This year’s intake is particularly exciting for South Australia, as four of the scholars are South Australian locals.

Brock Harrison, the Winemaker at Elderton Wines, Dr. Mark Krstic, the Managing Director at The Australian Wine Research Institute, Phillip LeMessurier, the Owner and Winemaker at Corduroy Wines, and Katie Spain, Freelance Writer & Journalist, will join eight peers from across Australia in the program which is designed to sharpen their skills as wine judges, better their knowledge of global standards, and shape them into well-rounded wine professionals.

LET Chair Sally Evans says this year’s applicant pool was the largest in the program’s history, with 189 aspiring scholars vying for just 12 spots.

“A very gratifying response rate indeed, with the selection panel struggling to separate the top 20 applicants. It’s wonderful to see such quality and enthusiasm coming from across the industry and country. As usual, the task of creating a balanced and cohesive scholar list takes much time and thought, and we are delighted with this year’s line-up. The board encourages all those who were unsuccessful to continue to refine their skills and reapply in 2026.”

Over five days, scholars participate in a handful of classes, workshops, and more. There will be judging workshops where they will taste and assess 30 wines per session, half Australian and half international, with an emphasis on varieties like Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay. Masterclasses will include deep dives into iconic wines and producers, placing Australian wines in the context of the world’s best. The written exercises will challenge the scholars to articulate detailed knowledge of a wine variety, regions and winemaking approaches. Finally, evening dinners will see the scholars indulge in tastings of rare and often unattainable wines from around the world.

The week concludes in the awarding of the Tutorial Dux, who receives the Basil Sellers Prize of a business class trip to Europe with introductions to legendary wine estates.

Founded in 2001 by Len Evans AO OBE, the Tutorial aspired to educate and motivate future leaders of the wine industry. Now running for over two decades, it has become a leader in professional wine education, producing alumni who have gone on to shape Australia’s wine identity.

The LET is a non-profit program offering 12 fully paid scholarships each year, covering all wine, food, travel, and accommodation, worth more than $180,000. Plus, it’s almost entirely run by volunteers and funded by industry sponsors. An impressive pool of fly-in-fly-out tutors conducts the sessions, including big names like James Halliday AM, Iain Riggs AM, and Michael Hill-Smith AM MW.

In 2016, the Tutorial received the Maurice O’Shea Award for its outstanding contribution to the Australian wine industry. Over twenty years on, the LET remains committed to its original mission to improve the quality of Australian wine and give its champions the tools to share that excellence with the world.