Brendan Carter named Wine Communicator of the Year
Brendan Carter received the top honour at Wine Communicators of Australia’s annual awards night on 5 November and shared the Best Digital Communication award with Noah Ward and Henry Doyle for BottleShock.
Top honour for Carter
Wine Communicators of Australia held its annual awards night on 5 November, when Brendan Carter was named the evening’s overall winner. The awards recognise achievement across different forms of wine communication, and the 33 industry professionals on the judging panel praised the entrants’ creativity, passion and skill.1
WCA National Chair Lynda Schenk said the programme covers digital campaigns, events, journalism, education, research, hospitality and advocacy. She described its recipients as people and organisations that connect audiences with wine through stories, ideas and conversation.1
BottleShock takes the digital award
Carter also shared the Best Digital Communication award with Noah Ward and Henry Doyle for their work on BottleShock. The 3 created the project with the stated ambition of being an antidote to dull wine content.1
Through BottleShock’s YouTube channel, Carter, Ward and Doyle publish blind tastings and their perspectives on the Australian wine industry. Their work seeks to foster a community-minded audience interested in wine and enjoying time together. They also organise The Big Blind League, which presents blind tastings in the format of a sports league.1
Trust, authenticity and an Australian voice
Carter said the overall award came as a surprise. Explaining his approach to communication, he argued that earning attention is a privilege and that trust and authenticity are fundamental to building an audience.1
He also said the Australian accent is readily recognised internationally. As attention becomes harder to secure, he suggested that establishing Australian voices as global authorities on wine could create an opportunity for the country.1
Recognition for consumer engagement
Schenk said Carter is helping advance the way wine is discussed. She credited him with engaging consumers through fresh thinking, a readiness to question convention and an effort to strengthen the relationship between wine and its audience.1
Sources
Written by the Dionysus editors from the sources above.
