Two industry leaders have been celebrated at the 2025 Australian Wine Industry Awards, presenting the Maurice O’Shea Award to Andrew Caillard, and the McWilliam’s Wines Excellence in Action Award to Dylan Grigg.
This year marks the 35th anniversary since the founding of the Maurice O’Shea Award in 1990 by the McWilliam family to pay homage to Mount Pleasant’s winemaker, Maurice O’Shea. The Maurice O’Shea Award recognises an individual, group, or organisation for incredible service or contribution to the sector through winemaking, cultivation, innovation and technology.
The recently established McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award returned for its second year in 2025, acknowledging an individual, group or organisation that has made a significant impact in the face of the numerous challenges currently facing the Australian wine industry.
The last awards were presented in 2022, which was the first edition held under the Australian Wine Industry Awards banner. It also followed a change of ownership to both Mount Pleasant and McWilliam’s Wines in 2021 by the Medich Family Office and Calabria Family Wine Group.
Presented at an exclusive ceremony in Adelaide Town Hall, the recipients are selected through a conferral process by a panel of wine industry experts, this year including Mount Pleasant Wines ambassador Phil Ryan, McWilliam's Wines former chairman Doug McWilliam, Len Evans Tutorial director Sally Evans, Yalumba and Hills Smith Family Vineyards winemaking head Louisa Rose, Calabria Family Wine Group director Bill Calabria, Australian Wine Research Institute MD Mark Krstic, Australia Grape & Wine chief executive Lee McLean, and independent wine journalist Jane Faulkner.
The final shortlist of talent is then narrowed down to the individual winners by leaders within the Mount Pleasant and McWilliam’s organisations.
2025 recipients
Fine wine expert, historian and author of The Australian Ark, Andrew Caillard, received this year’s Maurice O’Shea Award in honour of his 45-year career in the Australian wine industry. The McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award went to viticulturist, advisor and vineyard owner, Dylan Grigg, for his work in the research and protection of Australian old vines.
The Maurice O’Shea Award acknowledges Caillard’s ongoing work in the promotion of the Australian wine industry, most notably penning renowned titles such as The Australian Ark, along with Penfolds: The Rewards of Patience, the LANGTONS Classification of Australian Wine (Editions I-VII) and The Vintage Journal.
Caillard’s contributions to the Australian wine industry also extends to his work in the development of LANGTONS as shareholder and director, and author of seven editions of its respected Classification of Australian Wine.
“I would like to pay tribute to the so many colleagues and friends, past and present, who have made a wonderful difference to our cause for Australian wine and the Australian wine community,” said Caillard.
“Working with the Australian Wine industry has been a great privilege. We truly belong to a great cause and something that all generations of Australians – young and old – should be proud of.
“I am very honoured to receive the prestigious Maurice O’Shea Award. Hopefully this will be seen as being symbolic; that working in wine is a vocation – not a job – and that making a difference of some sort takes time, requires patience and demands collaboration with others,” he said.
The McWilliam’s Excellence In Action Award was also presented at the ceremony, created for the 2022 awards by McWilliam’s Wines' owners the Calabria Family Wine Group, and focused on the many current challenges facing the wine industry and the people or organisations tackling the key issues head on for the betterment of the industry.
Calabria Family Wine Group sales marketing director, Andrew Calabria, said: “Old vines are a valuable aspect of our Australian winemaking industry symbolising our rich viticultural history and high-quality wines.”
“Dylan Grigg’s ever-enduring work in protecting and advocating for these treasures is incredibly important and encompasses the spirit of the McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award which we are so proud to present to him.”
Beginning his career in the Barossa Valley, Grigg was first exposed to working with old vines. He later studied viticulture at the University of Adelaide, and continued working in vineyards across Victoria and New Zealand.
In 2008, Grigg established Meristem Viticulture as a service to help growers and winemakers get the most from their vines with practical experience underpinned with scientific knowledge. Returning to the University of Adelaide, Grigg completed his PhD in grapevine age and grape and wine quality with study sites in his home region of the Barossa Valley where he also runs his own wine brand Vinya Vella specialising in old vine grenache.
“I’ve had some wonderful mentors in my career, a couple of which are in this room – you know who you are. I thank them all and my current colleagues for my career journey to date,” said Grigg.
“This award recognises excellence in action, and for me that action has always been driven by curiosity and learning. Learning to care for wines and the land to produce a great product we can share and enjoy that brings people together.
“This is an industry and a room full of passion and it’s something that I’m very proud and grateful to be a part of. This award goes out to all the viticulturists out there. It’s for the recognition that healthy vines and long lived vines are important to this industry.”
The Maurice O’Shea Award Trophy was designed and created by Design Awards in Sydney, and is inspired by the winery’s branding and its original wine labels created by Maurice O’Shea himself. The trophy’s striking swan centrepiece sends a nod to the O’Shea family crest which sits upon a large oak wood base.
The trophy for the McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award was designed and created by celebrated Australian glass artist Nick Mount in Adelaide. The trophy is a glass replica of the iconic, barrel-shaped building of the McWilliam’s cellar door in the Riverina which was designed by Glen McWilliam and was first opened in 1973.
