Acclaimed Margaret River winemaker Virginia Willcock may soon reach her zenith after being named as a finalist for a coveted international “Winemaker of the Year” award.
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Ms Willcock is one of only five vinters in the world nominated for the award offered by esteemed U.S. magazine Wine Enthusiast.
In recent years, the Vasse Felix chief winemaker has already been named Winemaker of the Year by both Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine and the West Australian Good Wine Guide.
She is the only Australian winemaker nominated for the Wine Enthusiast award – other nominees are from Greece, California, Washington and Italy.
“To be selected by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as one of such a small group of winemakers from all over the world is mind-blowing,” Ms Willcock said.
“This credit really goes to the stunning Margaret River region, superb Vasse Felix Estate and the brilliant people I work with.”
In its nomination of Ms Willcock, magazine enthused: “Chief Winemaker of Margaret River’s storied Vasse Felix winery since 2006, Willcock has garnered numerous awards for her critically acclaimed wines, simultaneously elevating the winery and region to new heights.”
Ms Willcock credited Margaret River’s climate with the ability to “freakishly” grow some of the world’s most exciting chardonnays, and said the region’s soils were “perfectly” suited to Cabernet Sauvignon.
“Through narrowing our focus on these two varieties at Vasse Felix, we have found out about the finer details of the fruit capabilities,” she said
“Margaret River is one of the most isolated wine regions in the world. The region is only as old as I am and it is incredible how far it has come with the quality of its wines in such a short time.”
The winemaker said she viewed it as her job to nurture the fruit to best express itself and its environmental conditions.
“Margaret River has had an incredible run of outstanding vintages from 2007 onwards and I’ve been blessed to be able to nurture that fruit in the most sensitive way possible to express our magnificent vineyards each year since joining Vasse Felix.”
Ms Willcock will visit the United Kingdom, United States and Canada this September and October as part of Vasse Felix distributor Negociants International’s Australia and New Zealand Winemaker Tour.
The Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Trophy recipients will be announced in New York on 26 January 2015.
