Vanya Cullen OAM has been awarded the WA Wine Press Club’s 2024 Jack Mann Memorial Medal for outstanding service to the wine industry.
The medal was awarded by Dr Ken Michael AC, the former Governor of WA and the award’s patron, in front of more than 400 attendees at the Hyatt Hotel in Perth.
Vanya’s list of awards include The Australian Gourmet Traveller’s Magazine Winemaker of the Year 2000, included in the Australian Business Women’s Hall of Fame, The Australian Woman Winemaker of the Year 2019 (in New York), the James Halliday Wine Companion Winemaker of the Year 2020 and the James Halliday Wine Companion Viticulturist of the Year in 2023.
Vanya follows her mother’s footsteps once more, as after taking over Diana Madeline’s winemaking role at the family winery, Di and then Vanya were both awarded the Order of Australia Medal.
And now, after Di’s Jack Mann Memorial Medal Award in 1998, Vanya too – 26 years later – has been awarded this same accolade.
Vanya is a vocal advocate of organics and biodynamics, sustainability, women’s rights and for the Wilyabrup sub‐region of Margaret River.
A trained soprano, Vanya entertained the audience with a rendition of Reflections in a Wine Glass, a song held dear to her as it was written by her mother and father, Diana and Dr Kevin Cullen.
She has donated 60 to 70 weeks of her life travelling to and from judging at more than 80 Australian wine shows and 10 more internationally.
Photo: Vanya Cullen with John Jens and Rick Cullen at the Jack Mann Awards.
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