Wolf Blass - Wolf Blass Wines, Australia
2005 President, International Wine and Spirit Competition
The International Wine & Spirit Competition are thrilled to have Wolf Blass, one of Australia's best known international winemakers, as President for 2005.
Wolf Blass was born in 1934 and raised in former East Germany. He undertook an apprenticeship in winemaking and viticulture and at the age of 19 received his Kellermeister Diploma from the University of Wurzburg.
He began his career making sparkling wine in Germany before moving to the UK, where he worked in Bristol as a Wine Chemist and Cellar Superintendent. In 1961 he migrated to Australia, accepting a position as Sparkling Winemaker at the Kaiser Stuhl Winery in the Barossa Valley.
In 1964 he set himself up as a freelance distributor and technical adviser to several wineries, travelling around the Barossa Valley and selling wines from the boot of his Volkswagen Beetle.
In 1969 he joined Tolleys as Manager/Winemaker resigning in 1973 to start his own business, based in an old army shed. Major success came only a year later when in 1974 he won the first of 3 consecutive Jimmy Watson Trophies. Wolf Blass pioneered the use of oak maturation in Australian winemaking and drinkability became his keyword.
In 1984 Wolf Blass Wines became a public company and as a result of a merger with Mildara Wines in 1991 the company name was changed to Mildara Blass Limited. In the same year Wolf Blass & Associates was formed in Adelaide, to carry out various businesses from investments and developments.
Wolf created the Wolf Blass Foundation in 1994, aimed at assisting the wine industry by staging conferences, student/lecturer exchanges and educational activities. Conferences have included the inaugural Wine & Health Conference and exchanges have taken place between the Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga and the University of Wurzburg.
The Fosters corporation acquired Mildara Blass Limited in 1996 for $483 million with management retained in full control.
Wolf Blass has won many awards during the course of his career; in 1992 he was awarded the International Winemaker of the Year Trophy by the IWSC in London, in 1996 he became the first winemaker to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Applied Science from Charles Sturt University for his contribution to Wine Export Development, followed in 1997 by the inaugural Legend of Langhorne Creek honour. In 2000 Wolf Blass was awarded the McWilliams Wines Maurice O'Shea award, for his contributions to the Australian wine industry and in 2001 Her Majesty the Queen appointed Wolf Blass as a member in the Order of Australia for Service to the development of the Australian Wine Industry.
Wolf Blass currently fulfils the role of Ambassador and Statesman for Wolf Blass Wines International, participating in promotion, overseas development and maintaining the quality style of the winemaking production.
He is married to Shirley Nyberg-Blass and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren.