Wine

Meet The Panel - Adam Walls

Wine Selectors Tasting Panel Co-Chair, Wine Show Judge, and 2019 Len Evans Tutorial Dux

Born and bred in the rural NSW town of Gunnedah, Adam joined Wine Selectors in 2010 after 10 years working in hotels and restaurants across Australia and the United Kingdom.

I came to work at Wine Selectors via an old manager of mine who hired me - Adam explains. The fact that Wine Selectors was an Australian-wide business and worked with wine from across the country was the major attraction.

Adam has completed wine-based training in both Europe and Australia, holds a WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits, was awarded a fellowship at the 2015 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show and in 2019 was named Dux of the highly revered Len Evans Tutorial.

“Being selected as a scholar in the Len Evans Tutorial and being asked to be a Co-Chair of the Wine Selectors Tasting Panel have both been huge career highlights,” Adam says. 

Adam also has the great ability of communicating his extensive wine knowledge to others, presenting at sell-out wine events like Good Food & Wine, and also appearing on several seasons of Channel Ten’s My Market Kitchen. 

“Thank goodness your interests and tastes develop and change as you get older,” says Adam. “I remember the first bottle of wine I bought was a Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz – I hated it. I forced myself to drink it over two nights as I was scared of not liking wine and being ‘one of those people’ at a dinner.”

“I’m so lucky to now be able to taste and enjoy wines from all over Australia and my current favourites are Margaret River Chardonnays,” he says. “They are power, presence and balance and rival anything the rest of the world can produce, and we are just starting to see the beauty of sub-regional styles.”

Adam now lives in Angaston, SA, with his partner Gwyn Olsen, who is a Senior Winemaker at Henschke, and their two adorable children. He returns to Wine Selectors’ Newcastle head office each month for Panel tastings and a few social drinks with his colleagues.

“It’s so exciting to be involved with a product that incites passion and enjoyment in those who work with it and those who it’s served too.”