Release date: 20 February 2020

Fine wine will be on the lips of hundreds of Sunshine Coast business people as the Travis Schultz Law Wine Symposium welcomes more than 400 guests and 20 wine exhibitors – including celebrity winemakers Stefano de Pieri and Gwyn Olson – on Friday 28 February at USC’s Innovation Centre.

Wine connoisseurs have been waiting five years for the event to return and this year it is bigger and better than before and includes an Italian twist.

In 2018 wine retailer, Cellamasters, reported sales for Italian wine varieties such as Sangiovese, Nero d’Avola and Vermentino increased a staggering 132 per cent and Stefano de Pieri said that interest is far from slowing down.

“I came to Australia in 1974 from Treviso near Venice where I studied wine and grew a passion for using the Italian grape varietals grown in Australia, such as Nero d’Avola and Fiano,” Mr de Pieri said.

“My approach to winemaking is similar to my cooking philosophy: it’s all about finding the best ingredients. I seek small, delicate parcels of fruit to make balanced and delicious wines.”

The celebrity chef and winemaker runs the award-winning Stefano’s restaurant in Mildura where he serves his own delicious drop alongside wholesome Italian food.

“I’m excited to explain my winemaking method and philosophy to the crowds on the Sunshine Coast and help give customers a deeper insight into all the tender, love and care that has gone into making the wine – it often gives them a whole new outlook, and a deeper appreciation for the wine,” Mr de Pieri said.

Stefano will be joining Gwyn Olsen who has made her mark on the Hunter Valley, cementing herself as the Head Winemaker for Briar Ridge and Pepper Tree Wines since 2015 as well as receiving the prestigious Gourmet Traveller Wine’s Young Winemaker Medal in 2014.

Gwyn is bringing her exclusive namesake brand to the Sunshine Coast, which is a combination of a Vegan-friendly, preservative-free and low intervention wine.

“The Sunshine Coast will get a taste of my own Gwyn Olsen 2019 Preservative-free Wrattonbully Red Field Blend and Gwyn Olsen 2019 Preservative-free Wrattonbully White Field Blend,” Ms Olson said.

“I love being able to interact with customers face-to-face to get direct feedback on what they like and don’t like.

“It’s invaluable feedback because, at the end of the day, the wine is for them!”

Event founder Travis Schultz said it was an honour to be hosting some of Australia’s best winemakers.

“This is an exciting opportunity for people on the Sunshine Coast to meet the people behind some of the best wines and understand where it came from,” Mr Schultz said.

“I initiated a Wine Symposium in 2009 as a way of connecting professional service and business people who had a passion for wine and we’re thrilled to be bringing it back after a five-year break.”

It started in a local restaurant but has now expanded to cater for the significant interest in the event.

The attendees will also be encouraged to dig deep and help raise critical funds for RACQ LifeFlight Sunshine Coast and go into the draw to win a helicopter simulator experience for one person as well as a $5,000 cash prize thanks to our major sponsor.

The TSL Wine Symposium is an invitation-only event.