The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) board of directors have announced Frank Butera, general manager and winemaker at Bass River in Gippsland, Victoria as the recipient of the annual Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) Scholarship.

A major objective of the ASVO is to promote education in viticulture and oenology and to ensure and maintain the highest standards of quality for these educational objectives.

This year the ASVO is again supporting one of its members to participate in the Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC), delivered by the Australian Wine Research institute (AWRI).

Commenting at the announcement, the ASVO president Dr Anthony Robinson said that the scholarship program is an important component of the ASVO Awards program.

“Our Awards for Excellence and scholarship program is one way we honour outstanding people from across Australia that are making significant contribution into the Australian Wine industry,” he said.

Whilst the ASVO said each of the candidates were worthy of merit, the judges felt that both Butera and the wine industry would benefit from his attendance at AWAC.

Butera said he has a passion to appreciate wines that present a sense of place and wines that evolve from and have been grown to reveal their origin.

“In my experience it is these wines that have been skilfully assembled from the vineyard and monitored closely through the winemaking process.

“Wine and grape sensory permits the winemaker to obtain confidence to proactively appreciate the development of the wine from grape to bottle.

“The ability to recognise wine faults at any stage of development is a skill that I continue to refine,” he added.

The $4,760 scholarship will allow Butera to refine his palate and sensory skills and the ASVO has wished him well in his future endeavours at the AWAC.

Recognition of his scholarship will be made at the Annual ASVO Awards for Excellence Dinner, which is taking place on Tuesday 13th of November at the Wine Centre in Adelaide.