A partnership for prosperity with Wine Communicators of Australia

WCA are an independent, nation-wide professional wine body, dedicated to bringing together wine professionals. Offering industry insights, networking, workshops and events, they provide a platform to connect wine professionals and acts as a communications conduit for the industry. Members include winemakers, writers, marketers and retailers, as well as many career wine lovers.

The strong partnership between the University of Adelaide and WCA was forged in 2019, with both parties sharing a vision to create networking and learning opportunities in wine business to support the sustainable development of the Australian wine industry.

The partnership seeks to build the bonds between education and industry, ensuring the wine professionals of the future are engrained in the wine community, well before graduation.

Part of the initial agreement was to explore the opportunities of how the knowledge created within the University can be communicated to, and adopted by industryChair of WCA, Marni Cook

“The connection between industry and education is so important; the wine the community is very collegiate, so our partnership is the perfect pairing to connect students with research and networking opportunities”, she added.

A key piece of value born of the partnership is the annual Wine Industry Mentor Program. This program pairs emerging wine professionals with high-calibre industry leaders, providing mentorship, support and industry insights. After two successful years of mentoring in the areas of marketing and communication, the program recently introduced mentorship opportunities for professionals in the fields of oenology and viticulture, thanks to the involvement of the School of Agriculture, Food & Wine.

In a win for both mentors and mentees, Wine Australia and the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology have signed on as sponsors in 2021, broadening the scope of the program to include the whole wine value chain.

“Working together, we can create something neither organisation on its own could have achieved and that is really exciting,” said Marni of the mentor program.

The program is already in its third year and attracting industry heavyweights such as Max Allen, award winning author and drinks columnist for the Australian Financial Review, and Gill Gordon-Smith, celebrated wine educator, retailer and artisan, as previous mentors.

Blending education with industry is a crucial factor in this partnership.

“One of our key focus areas is promoting education as a strong value proposition for our members,” said Marni, who hopes to continue creating value with the University so students and members alike can access the research and expertise necessary to thrive in the evolving professional landscape.  

Currently, wine researchers from the Adelaide Business School share thought leadership articles in monthly WCA newsletters and often sit on event panels, sharing the knowledge created within the University with the wider wine community.

Students in our Wine Business programs have benefited greatly from the WCA partnership, each receiving a complimentary concessional membership to WCA, unlocking free journal articles, invitations to exclusive networking and learning events, and access to members-only monthly newsletters.  

For further information on how to become involved with Wine Communicators of Australia, please visit WCA, alternatively if you would like to learn more about studying wine business, visit wine business.