Wine communicator’s victory hardly a shock

Brendan Carter from Bottleshock has been named the 2026 Wine Communicator of the Year by Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA).

“Commanding people’s attention is a privilege,” he said at the awards ceremony in Sydney last night.

“The most important thing when it comes to building audiences is trust and authenticity and that is where Australia has a unique opportunity.

“Very few accents click in people’s minds globally as the Australian one.

“The ability to command attention is becoming scarcer, but if we can establish Australian accents globally as the authority on wine now, we might just be okay.”

WCA national chair Lynda Schenk said, “Brendan demonstrates an exceptional ability to engage consumers through his Bottleshock.TV and The Big Blind League wine tasting competition while also challenging us all to act differently in how we talk about wine.

“His fresh thinking, willingness to challenge convention, and commitment to building stronger connections between wine and consumers make him a truly deserving recipient of this honour.”

Thirty-three experienced and respected industry professionals judged entries across thirteen different categories.

Winners

Overall Winner – 2026 Wine Communicator of the Year
Brendan Carter

Best Australian Wine Communication Campaign
Jacob’s Creek x Australian Open 2026 by Vinarchy

Best Digital Communication
BottleShock by Brendan Carter, Noah Ward and Henry Doyle.

Best Social Media Communication
Brokenwood Wines

Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column
Campbell Mattinson for his article ‘Peter Dredge is not a winemaker by accident’

Best Wine Packaging Design
Poco Vino, designed by Australian Vintage

Best New Wine Book
Penfolds Rewards of Patience, Andrew Caillard MW + Longueville Media

Best Winery Website
Henschke

Best Wine-Themed Event
MOULD x Pinot Palooza

Best Wine Communicator: Cellar Door
Rhiannan Wilson, former Dandelion Vineyard