The big Australian-Wine Australia in the Aussie wine vernacular, instigated the inaugural Landmark tasting series this year. There was a lot of media noise on Twitter and Facebook and a lot of good wine. That is what this Landmark is-a tutorial showpiece of the top shelf of Australian wine, all styles, all ages and out there to taste.

And who tasted? Well it was advertised widely internationally, received 1000 enquiries, not quite the frenzy that Tourism Queensland received when they went to the waves with their “Greatest job in the World” to be paid to live six months on the Barrier Reef.

The twelve invited landmark visitors; from Hong Kong, Japan, China, USA, Finland, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Singapore, UK, tasted 248 wines over five days alongside a series of style tutors, basically some the senior industry leaders with hundreds upon hundreds of hours of experience in the Australian wine show system.

Held in the Barossa Valley, a fitting Australian destination, and one so well known, were intense flights of wines. They were Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon, Semillon Sauvignon Blends, Our Fine Wine History, Sparkling, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Fortified, Blends, New Varieties and dinner wines.

In 2010 a next generation Landmark tasting is to be held in Victoria’s Yarra Valley in September; international applications close on 31 December 2009; http://www.landmark-wineaustralia.com/2009/09/17/apply/; hope you make it.