Connew named winemaker of the year

Samantha Connew (above) added to a growing number of honours won by members of the wine industry in Tasmania in 2025 when she was named ASVO Winemaker of the Year.

The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) this week named the winners of its 2025 Awards for Excellence, including ‘Winemaker of the Year’, ‘Viticulturist of the Year’, ‘Wine Science and Technology Award’ and the new ‘Emerging Talent Award’.

Connew, vigneron/owner of Stargazer in the Coal River Valley, north of Hobart, was "recognised for her huge commitment to volunteering her time and expertise back to the industry, particularly to reward excellence in others".

She was was the youngest judge and first woman to serve as chair of judges at the Sydney Royal Wine Show and is the current Chair of Judges at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show. She serves as a tutor and on the Board of the Len Evans Tutorial and has previously served on the board of Wine Tasmania and the advisory board of the Australian Women in Wine Awards.

“This has been a challenging year for me personally and professionally (as it is for so many in the wine industry right now) so to be awarded this accolade by my peers is a timely reminder of why we do what we do despite the obstacles, and what a great industry this is to be a part of, and how I’m fortunate to be able to contribute,” Connew said.

Connew earlier this month opened the new Stargazer vineyard tasting room.

Viticulturist of the Year was Steve Faulkner, currently senior viticulturist for Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley, while the Wine Science & Technology Award went to Kerry Wilkinson, Professor of Oenology at the University of Adelaide.

Maggie Jarrett, originator of the concept of the Rootlings wine industry youth network in NSW, was the recipient of the new Emerging Talent Award. She works for SeeSaw Wines.

Image: Adam Gibson

Two Tasmanian vineyards recognised for sustainability

The Tasmanian wine sector's environmental sustainability report for 2023 has been released, with two vineyards recognised for their practices during the season.

The voluntary VinØ ('vin zero') program is a framework to ensure Tasmania’s wine producers are doing everything they can to produce high-quality wine without negative impacts on the environment or local communities.

Paul Smart, Wine Tasmania's Viticulture & Winemaking Officer, noted that just under half of Tasmania's vineyard area was managed under the VinØ Program in 2022/23 (41%), with 30 vineyards and wineries reporting on a range of business and sustainability practices.

"The VinØ Program covers all aspects of vineyard and winery management, such as soil health, biodiversity, carbon emissions, waste and water management, biosecurity, social and human resources," Smart said.

"In 2023, practices across biodiversity, carbon emissions, waste management, pest and disease management and biosecurity all saw improvements. Biodiversity will remain a key focus area for 2024, as well as winery practices and one-on-one support for program members."

Smart announced two VinØ Program awards for 2023: Stargazer Wines in the Coal River Valley (top image) was awarded the 2023 VinØ Program Champion, while Westella Vineyard in the Tamar Valley was announced as the 2023 VinØ Program Most Improved Producer.

Accepting the award on behalf of Stargazer owner Sam Connew, Bryn Williams said: ""We are thrilled to receive the VinØ Program Champion award this year.

"It goes to show how large an impact small incremental change can have on a business. It's been very valuable for Stargazer to assess its own procedures through the VinØ framework.

"There is always room for improvement and reflection and our business will evolve as the VinØ Program continues to develop and expand in the future."

Jacquie Adkins of Westella Vineyard said: "After joining VinØ, we quickly realised the value of the program's organisational framework. VinØ has become an essential tool for Westella as we strive for continuous improvement and identify areas of our vineyard operations that require focus. Winning the award was a welcome recognition of the planning, paperwork, and physical effort that goes into developing a vineyard and achieving high quality fruit."