GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE’S YOUNG WINEMAKER MEDAL - GWYN OLSEN

Last night at a lavish ceremony at The Star’s BLACK by ezard, Briar Ridge Wines Chief Winemaker Gwyn Olsen was awarded the Gourmet Traveller WINE’s, The Young Winemaker Medal.

The Young Winemaker medal is awarded to a young winemaker who is assessed and appreciated for their raw talent, ascension in the wine community, commitment and interest in broader pursuits and for producing exceptional wines.  “Gwyn Olsen was a standout for her increasingly significant take on not only Hunter Valley wines of high quality and typicity, but a curiosity that drives her to experiment and reflect on more historical Australian winemaking and styles”, says Mike Bennie, Gourmet Traveller WINE judge.  “Her immediate impact at the helm of Briar Ridge is impressive, her skills both visceral and technical, have her at the top of her game”, he furthers.

Winning this award ‘left me completely speechless”, says Gwyn, “with so many young winemakers doing interesting things and making their mark on the industry, I felt very humbled and privileged to accept this award”.

This Young Winemaker Medal adds to Gwyn’s list of achievements.  In 2012 Gwyn was awarded the title of ‘Dux’ at the Australian Wine Research Institute, Advanced Wine Assessment Course. Gwyn was described as an ‘individual with exceptional judging skill and deserves the opportunity to be fast tracked into the national wine show system’ says Con Simos, Coordinator of the AWAC.    As a result Gwyn now judges at six wine shows throughout Australia, including three National Wine Shows – Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane.

This tops of a great year on the wine show circuit, and has the Briar Ridge team arguing over who is NOT going to clean the silverware.   Gwyn has four trophies on the shelf so far - a hat trick for the 2014 Briar Ridge “Dairy Hill” Single Vineyard Semillon, and another for the 2013 Briar Ridge “Dairy Hill” Single Vineyard Shiraz.

In 2014 Gwyn was appointed the additional role of General Manager for Briar Ridge and continues to enjoy the challenges and opportunities to not only craft diverse, high quality wines but also to lead the Briar Ridge team to build the iconic Briar Ridge brand.