The AWRI Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) is an intensive four-day course designed for participants with considerable formal wine tasting experience. It aims to prepare potential new wine show judges and develop the sensory analysis capabilities and the vocabulary of Australian wine industry personnel at an elite level.

The 24th AWAC was held in November 2007, giving another 30 participants the opportunity to develop and test their sensory evaluation performance (approximately 720 participants have undertaken the course since its inception). This was the twelfth course presented under a four-day format, which includes approximately 40 hours of activities over the four days, and ten leading wine show judges, journalists and winemakers assisted in the presentation of the course. A copy of the program from the 24th course can be found here.

The aims of the course include:

• Improving participants' sensory skills
• Providing training in the techniques and practices of wine show judging
• Improving participants' appreciation of world wine styles
• Investigating and challenging the basis on which tasters make decisions on quality and preference
• Providing statistical measurement of participants' performance, with respect to:
• discrimination
• stability
• reliability
• Assisting in the development and use of a standardised vocabulary

The cost to participate in the course is approximately $3200 (including GST). The next Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC 25) is likely to be held in June 2008, however course dates for 2008 have not yet been finalised. The proposed schedule of AWACs and other extension activities can be found here. This page will be updated as dates are confirmed.

Places in each course are allocated using a ballot system. Prior to the first course in 2008 an email will be sent to everyone on the AWAC mailing list with an application form attached. Once you receive this email, you will have ten days to return your application form and deposit, so that your name can be placed in the ballot. Deposits will only be banked if you are drawn from the ballot, and you accept your place in the course. We currently have a long mailing list of people interested in participating in the course and have adopted this system in the interest of fairness. We do, however, reserve the right to refuse applicants if we believe they do not have sufficient formal wine tasting experience to enable them to participate fully in the course.

For more information please contact Virginia Phillips on (08) 8303 6600. To place your name on the course mailing list, please complete this form and send by email to Virginia.Phillips@awri.com.au, fax to (08) 8303 6621, or mail to Virginia Phillips, The Australian Wine Research Institute, PO Box 197, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia.