Ben Glaetzer's corker prize

Dynamic winemaker Ben Glaetzer has won the prestigious Qantas Medal as part of the 2004 Qantas/Australian Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Awards.

Ben received the coveted medal at an awards ceremony attended by wine industry luminaries at The Establishment Ballroom in Sydney last night.

The Qantas Medal aims to encourage the pursuit of excellence among young winemakers. "I'm thrilled to win and it's a great honour to be chosen from such a talented pool of people," Ben says. "It's a privilege but it's also a lot to live up to!"

Ben, 27, and his father Colin Glaetzer were nominated as finalists for the Winemaker Of the Year for their work with family company, Glaetzer Wines, in the Barossa Valley. The younger Glaetzer made a big impact on the judging panel who described Ben as an "admirable choice" for this year's Qantas Medal. "Ben Glaetzer's energy is that of a remarkable young man going places in a hurry," the judges commented. The medal recognises his winemaking achievements across a diverse range of projects.

Ben plays a supporting role to his father, legendary winemaker Colin, at the core family business, Glaetzer Wines in the Barossa Valley. The pair bring their complementary philosophical differences to the company which focuses on benchmark Barossa Shiraz. Colin and Ben team up to produce four remarkable Glaetzer reds -- the flagship Glaetzer Shiraz, Bishop Shiraz, Wallace (Shiraz and Grenache blend) and the Amon-Ra Shiraz.

Ben's own exciting project is Heartland Wines from Langhorne Creek and Limestone Coast. He joins with good mates, including viticulturalist Geoff Hardy and winemaker Scott Collett, to make Heartland's range of innovative, experimental wines - including Heartland Viognier Pinot Gris. He also makes wine for Woodstock Wines and Mitolo Wines, both from McLaren Vale.

In addition to these ventures, Ben is General Manager of Barossa Vintners, a custom winemaking facility with an annual crush of 10,000 tonnes. This successful company has so far made 960 wines from 26 varieties for 53 customers.

The Qantas Medal is part of the airline's Sharing The Spirit program. Ben has won Qantas travel to the value of $3000.