James Halliday AM has written his last weekly column for The Weekend Australian after 40 years.
Nick Ryan has been appointed senior wine writer for the newspaper.
Halliday, 85, began writing a weekly column for The Weekend Australian in 1984.
It is the longest-running national wine column in Australia.
Editor-in-chief Michelle Gunn said, “We have been so fortunate to have enjoyed James Halliday’s wisdom, knowledge and experience over all these years.
“The Australian wine industry has had no greater champion than James Halliday.
“And our readers have certainly benefited from his fine palate over the years, stocking their cellars and bar fridges with his recommendations.
“We wish James well with his semi-retirement.”
Halliday said, “The most frequent face-to-face reaction to my column has very often been, ‘I really like your column because I can understand it’.”
He endorsed Ryan’s appointment, saying he had built a reputation as “an energetic, knowledgeable communicator” who had a great love for the Australian wine industry.
Ryan says he is honoured to step into the role.
“I have a career as a wine writer because James Halliday, through his passion for the subject and Herculean work ethic, showed such a thing could even exist,” he said.
“Every wine writer in this country owes James an enormous debt.
“I’m genuinely humbled that I’m the one tasked with building on his forty-year contribution to The Australian.”
Gunn said Ryan was Halliday’s perfect successor.
“With a keen eye for detail and a passion for discovery, Nick promises to engage readers with captivating narratives that showcase the diversity and complexity of the world of wine,” she said.
Halliday will continue to write features for The Australian and will remain as president of the Wine Club.
Ryan’s first column will appear in The Weekend Australian on Saturday 6 April.
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