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 32nd AWAC was held in November 2012, giving another 30 participants the opportunity to develop and test their sensory evaluation performance (959 participants have undertaken the course since its inception). This was the twentieth 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 32nd 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 $4,300 (including GST). Due to the extensive list of people interested in participating in the course, and if demand exceeds the number of available places, an allocation of places will be made using a ballot system. The AWRI does, however, reserve the right not to place applicants if it is considered they do not have sufficient formal wine tasting experience to enable them to participate fully in the course. The 2013 AWAC dates are tentatively scheduled for October/November.
Other extension activities for 2013 can be found here. This page will be updated as dates are confirmed.
For more information please contact Winemaking Services Team on (08) 8313 6687. To place your name on the 2013 course mailing list, please complete the online form. Any questions can be submitted via email to awac@awri.com.au, fax to (08) 8313 6621, or mail to Virginia Phillips, The Australian Wine Research Institute, PO Box 197, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia.