5 STAR WINERY
Samantha Connew obtained a postgraduate diploma of oenology and viticulture from Lincoln University, Canterbury, NZ, before moving to Australia. Here she undertook the advanced wine assessment course at the Australian Wine Research Institute in '00, was chosen as a scholar at the ’02 Len Evans Tutorial, won the George Mackey Award for the best wine exported from Australia in ’04 and was awarded International Red Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge, London in ’07. After a highly successful and lengthy position as chief winemaker at Wirra Wirra, Sam moved to Tasmania (via the Hunter Valley) to make the 1st wines for her own business, something she said she would never do. The emotive name (and label) is in part a tribute to Abel Tasman, the 1st European to sight Tasmania before proceeding to the South Island of NZ, navigating by the stars. JAMES HALLIDAY
