Talking all things wine is my specialty, especially those wines from my home country, New Zealand and my residence, Australia.
Working as a freelance writer I cover the latest climate and sustainability issues facing the industry for Grapegrower & Winemaker and my stories about the wines, regions and gourmet destinations of Australia and New Zealand can be found in several online and print publications, including Jetstar inflight magazine, the James Halliday Wine Companion Magazine, Gourmet Traveller WINE and Wine Spectator. You can hear me talk all things Aussie and Kiwi wine as a guest on the highly rated US podcast Wine for Normal People.
As an educator, I deliver WSET and wine appreciation classes around Melbourne, in addition to staff training for industry clients.
After careers as a professional flute player and IT project manager I switched to wine when I moved to Hong Kong. Here, I graduated with the WSET Diploma in 2015 and was subsequently awarded the HKIWSC Scholarship for gaining the highest WSET Diploma mark in Asia that year. Further studies have included the Rhône Master-Level Certificate with the Wine Scholar Guild, graduating with Highest Honours in the final exam. I was the 2018 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show Fellow and I have been a judge and tasting panel member for Dan Murphy’s, Young Gun of Wine, Melbourne International Wine Challenge and the Australian finals of the Tío Pepe Challenge.
Happy Drinking!
Simone Madden-Grey
Simone Madden-Grey : Happy Wine Woman 