Hunter Valley winemaker Bruce Tyrrell AM says it’s the job of family wineries to make the industry stronger.
He made the comment after being named 2025 NSW Legend of the Vine at the Sydney Royal Wine Show Awards Lunch on Friday.
“The other important thing for me is my family and remaining as a family business,” he said.
“We’re the guts of Australian business.
“It is the families that run our industries.
“We are all mates. Our industry is full of that.
“There are people here that I started dealing with 50 odd years ago.
“There are some of us who’ve been around long enough to know that it’s our job to make our industry stronger.
“That’s the most important thing.
“Make your industry stronger, make it better, and make sure you’ve got people coming through who can carry it on.”
Bruce started his wine journey at a young age – and there was an early hiccup.
“My start in the industry was at age six, in the winery, helping my father clean out a vat,” he said.
“He wasn’t looking and got a bucket of skins and juice and tipped it over the side of the vat and I happened to be standing underneath.
“I wouldn’t go back to the winery for three months [until my mother sent me back].”
The Legend of the Vine Award is presented by Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) to recognise an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian wine industry and who epitomises the spirit and ethos of WCA to “connect, develop, engage and inspire excellence in how they communicate about wine”.
WCA national chair Lynda Schenk said, “Bruce Tyrrell is a true Legend of the Vine.
“He has been a driving force for the Hunter Valley for decades, particularly for Semillon.
“His passion for Australian wine and the Hunter Valley is evident in all that he does.
“He communicates frankly, which is endearing, and has been a mentor to countless people over the years.
“He has received many accolades, and it was time for Wine Communicators of Australia to tip our hat to Bruce Tyrrell with this 2025 NSW Legend of the Vine award.”
It was the first time the award event has been jointly hosted by Wine Communicators of Australia in partnership with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Bruce is the thirteenth person to receive the NSW Legend of the Vine Award. He joins a prestigious list that includes Sally Evans, Liz Riley, Andrew Caillard MW, Sandra Przibilla, Lyndey Milan, Huon Hooke, Clive Hartley, Iain Riggs, Rob Hirst, David Lowe, Philip Laffer and Chris Anstee.
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