An Interview With Tom Warrell - 2014 Vin de Champagne Award winner (amateur category)

Tom Warrell with Annette Lacey, both 2014 Vin de Champagne Award winners.

At the age of 26, Sydney based Tom Warrell became the youngest ever Vin de Champagne Award winner in 2014.

Surpassing every other competitor in the amateur category - many of whom were much older and experienced aficionados - Tom impressed and surprised many in the industry with his passion for champagne and naturally adept palate.

A civil and environmental engineer by trade, Tom's day job is Operations Manager for Uber taxis. With no former experience in the industry, he has developed his champagne knowledge and palate in just a few short years, beginning with his time working in fine dining restaurants whilst studying at Sydney University. But unlike most other twenty-somethings, Tom took his taste for alcohol to a higher level by refining his interest with diligent study of the wine and region and attending regular tastings.

Following on from my interview with Annette Lacey, professional category winner of the 2014 Vin de Champagne Award (published on 15 September 2015), I was privileged to ask Tom the same questions. Asking the same questions of both winners provides a fascinating insight into the preparation each one undertook in the lead-up to the awards and what drives their passion for the French bubbly stuff.

What inspired you to take a specific interest in champagne (as opposed to any other wine)?

Champagne has such a special place within the wine world. The prestige, history and romance of the region is unparalleled and, of course, is so synonymous with celebration!

An Interview With Annette Lacey - 2014 Vin de Champagne Award Winner (professional category)

Annette Lacey, 2014 Vin de Champagne Award winner

Presented every two years by the Champagne Bureau, the Vin de Champagne Award is the premier wine award for champagne enthusiasts in Australia.

Revered for its rigorous testing and vetting process as well as its ultimate prize of a unique two week educational tour to Champagne, the Vin de Champagne Award attracts entrants into two categories: professional or amateur.

Finalists battle it out in front of Australia's leading experts on all things champagne, showcasing their knowledge and sensitive palates during an intense blind tasting and interview.

The 2014 grand final was held in Sydney in September, which also marked the 40th anniversary of the awards.  

Annette Lacey emerged as the professional category winner whilst Tom Warrell secured the amateur category.

Annette is currently the Head Sommelier at Pei Modern, Sydney. She has worked at some of Sydney’s best restaurants including Banc, Marque and Claude’s. She is also a lecturer for Professional Sommelier classes and the internationally accredited Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) wine courses for industry professionals.

Her past accolades include the 2001 Len Evans tutorial and winner of the 2000-2001 Deveaux and Rosemount Sommelier competitions. Annette is currently a Master of Wine Candidate, having successfully passed the rigorous tasting paper.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Annette about her Vin de Champagne Award experience. I hope this will provide some useful insight for those would-be award entrants, but also for those who simply love to learn about champagne.

What inspired you to take a specific interest in champagne (as opposed to any other wine)?

Actually, I love all wines, but what I love the most about champagne is the complexity and the time involved to create the final product. This can be said of all wine, still and sparkling, but with champagne it truly is a unique style that is hard to replicate.