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9th December

It took seven people, four days and more than 2000 glasses, but the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has completed the biennial update of its wine cellar, adding several dozen more vintages to its world-class collection.

Overseen by the Centre’s Catering Manager and Certified Sommelier, William Wilson, a team of six tasters from the Centre assessed more than 400 wines to choose the latest additions.

One of the largest collections in Australia , the Centre’s wine cellar comprises of the best locally produced wine, with vintages dating back to 1988, the year the venue opened. 

Mr Wilson said while minor adjustments were made to the Centre’s wine list every few months, a comprehensive blind tasting review of new offerings was conducted every two years. 

“The Centre is well known for its superb cuisine and it’s important that we have a full complement of wines to match our food,” Mr Wilson said.

Mr Wilson said most of the new wines selected during the tasting were Australian, with a few New Zealand , Italian and French vintages also added to the collection.

He said he was particularly impressed by some of the offerings from Mudgee and the Hunter Valley in New South Wales as well as Canberra .

This year’s review took four full days, with the Centre’s purchasing team helping to assess the collection to ensure that suppliers could provide sufficient stock if selected.

Since he started at the Centre in 1993, Mr Wilson has observed a growing appreciation of food and wine amongst its guests.

“Corporate clients want to make sure that they make a good impression at their events, so of course they want to serve good wines.

“Australian wines are in high demand for international events so we have a huge selection on offer.”