HEY MELBOURNE, THIS IS YOUR GUIDE TO PINOT NOIR!

MEET YOUR SOMMELIERS!

• SHANTEH WALE

  Sommelier, communicator, podcast host, wine judge and all round bloody champion, there isn't much Shanteh doesn't know about wine.
  
  Aside from her recommendations, she's also hosting wine chats through the session so make sure you hear there to get the inside word!
  Follow her at @shantehwale
  
  NEW ZEALAND
  Baller: Dog Point (Marlborough⁠)
  Emerging Talent: Mora (Central Otago⁠)
  Hump Day: Black Estate (North Canterbury⁠)
  Date Night: Pegasus Bay (North Canterbury⁠)
  Picnic Party: Two Paddocks (Central Otago⁠)
  ⁠
  AUSTRALIA⁠
  Baller: Oakridge (Yarra Valley, VIC⁠)
  Emerging Talent: Xavier Goodridge (Gippsland, VIC⁠)
  Hump Day: Gilbert (Orange, NSW⁠)
  Date Night: Riversdale Estate (TAS)⁠
  Picnic Party: Meadowbank (TAS)
  ⁠

• SAYAKA BILCHICH

  One of the truly great quiet achiever sommeliers going around, Sayaka is a champion of all good things wine.
  From international, to local champions, her immediately accessible communicative style is why she's so highly regarded.
  Here she shares some of her picks from Gippsland
  
  GIPPSLAND
  Baller: Xavier Goodridge
  Emerging Talent: Bandicoot Run
  Hump Day: Lightfoot
  Date Night: Nikau
  Picnic Party: Holly's Garden

• CHRISTINA KAIGG-HOXLEY

  Wine Development Manager, 67 Pall Mall (soon to open!)

  With 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry in Melbourne, Christina recently returned from London, where she served as the Assistant Head Sommelier at The Clove Club, a prestigious 2 Michelin Star restaurant in Shoreditch run by Isaac McHale. Prior to this, she was a sommelier at Gimlet at Cavendish House, part of the Trader House restaurant group in Melbourne, and also held the role of Victorian Brand Ambassador for Burch Family Wines, as well as working vintages in Margaret River (Howard Park) and Yarra Valley (Yeringberg).

  A Wine Scholars Guild and WSET Certified Educator, Christina is also a freelance wine writer and communicator, with work published in renowned Australian national publications such as Halliday Magazine, Gourmet Traveller Wine, and Vine & Bubble. 

  Baller: Lyon's Will (Macedon, Vic)
  Emerging Talent: Santolin (Yarra Valley, Vic)
  Hump Day: Slow Wine Co. (Orange, NSW)
  Date Night: Stonier (Mornington Peninsula, Vic)
  Picnic Party: Holly's Garden (Gippsland, Vic)
  

• CHRIS WEBB

  Head Sommelier, Cumulus Inc

  if you haven't been to Cumulus Inc, have you even Melbourned?
  This iconic venue is a must visit in town and the win program for the entire group is epic.

  Baller: Attwoods (Macedon)
  Emerging Talent Bandicoot Run (Gippsland, Vic)
  Hump Day Clyde Park (Geelong, Vic)
  Date Night Lyons Will (Macedon, Vic)
  Picnic Party Xavier Goodridge (Gippsland, Vic)

• LOUELLA MATHEWS

  One of Australia’s most renowned sommeliers, Louella Mathews is currently Group Sommelier of Trippas White Group, and has previous experience in fine-dining institutions such as Rockpool and Rockpool Bar & Grill.
  Most recently Louella achieved the distinction of becoming a Len Evans Scholar, participating in the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2023 — widely acclaimed as the 'most exclusive wine school in the world.'

  Mathews won the Australia’s Wine List of the Year 2020 Sommeliers’ Choice Award (for bibo wine bar) and was nominated for Young Sommelier of the Year in 2016.
  She's also President of Sommeliers Australia

  Baller: Yering Station (Yarra Valley)
  Emerging Talent Xavier Goodridge (Gippsland, Vic)
  Hump Day Oakridge (Yarra Valley, Vic)
  Date Night Lethbridge (Geelong, Vic)
  Picnic Party Vinteloper (Adelaide Hills, SA)

• SAMANTHA PAYNE

  Samantha Payne is a Drinks Communicator, Sommelier and Wine Consultant.
  
  Basically, that's a convoluted way of saying that Samantha spends her days travelling all around the world to discuss fine wine and working with winemakers in various wine regions.
  
  She is known for her speciality in Australian wine and because of this, often speaks on panels, films and hosts events about the Australian wine and food landscape both nationally and internationally. She is also a wine judge and educator.
  
  Samantha also writes about wine, spirits, food and travel as the drinks writer for Gourmet Traveller and has also been featured in Concrete Playground, Broadsheet, Decanter (UK), Conde Nast Traveller (USA) and The Guardian (to name a select few)
  Follow her at @sl_payne
  
  NEW ZEALAND

  Baller: CHARTERIS (Central Otago)
  Emerging Talent: DICEY (Central Otago)
  Hump Day: MAUDE (Central Otago)
  Date Night: PEGASUS BAY (North Canterbury)
  Picnic Party: BLACK ESTATE (North Canterbury)