Wine News: Has The Australian Wine Industry Reached It's Breaking Point, New Members For The Australian Wine Board, Len Evans Tutorial Breakdown, and What's On In Wine PLUS MORE!

Send us Fan Mail

Wine people love a good crisis chat, but what happens when the story gets so grim that customers start believing wine itself is the problem? We’re tackling that head-on, with a glass in hand and a focus on what actually moves the Australian wine industry forward.

We start with a bright spot: the Len Evans Tutorial scholars and why this intense, blind-tasting program is considered one of Australia’s most prestigious wine education pathways. From judging workshops to museum wines, it’s a reminder that training, consistency, and clear communication are still the backbone of great wine judging and great wine careers.

Then we get into the big mood shift. We unpack the recent pushback against industry doom-scrolling, including Dan Sims’ argument for less wallowing and more customer focus, plus the reality that wine is facing global structural change, generational shifts, and fierce competition from other drinks. That opens the door to fresh thinking, like wine cocktails and new occasions that help people discover Australian wine without the snobbery.

We also cover Coravin’s first aged wine clinic in Sydney, what it means to assess an old bottle through the cork, and the uncomfortable possibility of being told your treasured wine is corked. Add new directors on the Wine Australia board, plus how Australian wine shows are evolving beyond the old boys’ club into more diverse panels and stronger mentoring for new judges, and you’ve got a full snapshot of where wine is heading. To finish, we share the fun stuff: KFC’s wine bar pop-up in London and a stack of upcoming wine events worth planning around.

If you enjoyed this Wine News catch-up, subscribe, share it with a wine mate, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

As we said on the ep write in! We love hearing from you.

Follow us on instagram @winewithmegandmel

and TikTok! @winewithmegmel