​Jess Clark has worked as a winemaker at Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley for the past six years. She is currently helping her family business, Dexter wines, here on the Mornington Peninsula. 

Jess has been actively involved in the wine show circuit both front and back of house stewarding and judging since graduating her Masters of Oenology at Adelaide University and University of California Davis. Jess's specialty and passion is cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Since finishing her studies, Jess has followed this passion around the world working in the Mornington Peninsula, King Valley, Adelaide Hills, Rhine, Burgundy, Rhone, Alsace, Napa Valley and British Columbia both in Winemaking and as a Sommelier. 

After an inspiring start in fine wine retail in Perth, Toby studied Oenology at the University of Adelaide and graduated as dux in 2002.

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The flying winemaker lifestyle then took hold, with vintages spanning Margaret River, Marlborough, Langhorne Creek, the Clare Valley and Corsica.

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​Toby was a ‘Vin de Champagne’ winner and explored the Champagne region extensively on the back of this award. He completed the AWRI Advanced Wine Assessment course in 2004 and has been a judge for Winestate magazine and the International Cool Climate Wine Show over several years.

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​Toby’s career pivoted to wine wholesale in 2006 and he became a director and state sales manager for Bacchus Wine Merchant for 12 years until December 2023. He was instrumental in selecting quality imported wines from cool climate regions including Piedmont, Val d’Adige, Central Otago, Champagne, Chablis, Alsace & Mosel.

In 2024, Toby completed a mini-MBA with the Australian Institute of Management, and he is now working as consultant to the wine trade under his company Vino Guru Wine Consultants. The next big wine gig is in the pipeline, but as of writing it remains confidential (watch this space).

Originally from the Champagne region, Romi has built his career around a deep passion for wine, with a particular focus on cool climate winemaking. He has worked in various wine regions across Europe, Australia and Japan, exploring organic and regenerative farming practices, and learning from a new generation of growers. Particularly interested in terroir expression, he is currently based in the Macedon Ranges, where he works as the winemaker at Curly Flat Vineyard, producing cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

He holds WSET Level 2 and 3, and took part in 2024 in the Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) at the Australian Wine Research Institute in Adelaide, further developing his tasting and wine evaluation skills.

Judging at ICCWS is an opportunity for him to keep learning from others and contribute to a shared appreciation of wine

Bio to come