HEY SYDNEY, THIS IS YOUR GUIDE TO PINOT NOIR!

MEET YOUR SOMMELIERS!

  • 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)

  • AMELIA BIRCH

    Owner / Sommelier: Famlia Wine Bar

    Amelia Birch is a Sommelier, and the Owner of Famelia - a wine bar and bottle shop in Newtown, Sydney. Famelia proudly champions Woman Winemakers exclusively, showcasing 12 delicious wines each month that tell a story of place, people and heart.
    You can experience the wines as part of a wine 'flight', by the glass, or the bottle - at retail price plus corkage to drink in.

    Amelia is passionate about making wine experiences accessible, fun, and as inclusive as possible. She offers a full schedule of wine events that are engaging, educational, and delicious!
    She believes when you remove the barriers to entry around wine you get to appreciate wine for what it is, where it's from, and who made it, instead of simply whether you like it or not. Check out Famelia online:     www.famelia.com.au or follow via the socials.
    Fun fact, we had every post event meal here for our sister event, MOULD!

    Baller: Torch Bearer (Tasmania)
    Emerging Talent: Yume (Great Southern, WA)
    Hump Day: Vinteloper (Adelaide Hills, Vic)
    Date Night: M&J Becker (USA & NSW)
    Picnic Party: See Saw Wines (Orange, NSW)
    Cellar Door Legends: ChaLou (Orange, NSW)

  • Sean McManus

    The Gidley, Head Sommelier

    With the goal to connect the right wine with the right person, whether staying within their comfort zone or exploring the world of esoteric styles, Sean says "wines can be gluggable and forgetful or thought provoking and pleasurable. I’m here to make sure you get the experience you desire.
    Some wines have stories, I’m interested in yours!"
    We're in!

    Baller: Attwoods (Macedon) - From crafting the finest of Burgundy to Victorian Pinot & Chardy
    Emerging Talent ChaLou (Orange, NSW) - Pinot with texture & meaning
    Hump Day Provenance (Geelong, Vic) - always over delivering
    Date Night Lethbridge (Geelong, Vic) - when the scientist emerges as an artist
    Picnic Party Xavier Goodridge (Gippsland, Vic) - slurpy juice

  • 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)