After almost 30 years of producing the Halliday Wine Companion, James Halliday took a step back from some of his vast responsibilities on the guide in 2020. Today, the Tasting Team heads up the Companion and ensures it lives up to James' exacting standards.
The esteemed Tasting Team is made up of nine panelists: Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale, Toni Paterson MW and Katrina Butler. Each authority is responsible for year-round reviewing the wines from specific regions across the country, which allows for continuity, connection and specialist expertise.
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James Halliday AM, founder
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Dave Brookes
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Jane Faulkner
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Jeni Port
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Marcus Ellis
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Mike Bennie
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Philip Rich
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Shanteh Wale
Shanteh cut her teeth at Sydney’s Award-Winning Quay Restaurant where she worked for over a decade as a Sommelier and held the position of Head Sommelier from 2018 till 2022. She has been nominated for the Good Food Guide Sommelier of the Year award on three occasions and her experience as a Len Evans scholar in 2019 was one of the highlights of her career.
Find out more about Shanteh Wale.
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Toni Paterson MW
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Katrina Butler
Katrina Butler spent a decade in the food industry as a skilled baker and preferred supplier to many prestigious Yarra Valley wineries before she hung up her apron and transitioned her career to explore the art of wine communication. Katrina is currently serving as the Head of Tasting for Halliday Wine Companion.
Respected wine critic and vigneron James Halliday is the founder of Halliday Wine Companion. With a wine career spanning over 50 years, he was one of the founders of Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley, and later, Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley. James is an unmatched authority on all aspects of the wine industry, and for more than 30 years, was among the most senior and active wine judges in Australia..
Find out more about James Halliday.
An established wine journalist, Dave contributes to a range of publications here and overseas. Originally from New Zealand, Dave lived in South Australia’s Barossa for many years and has almost 30 years’ experience working in the wine industry across wineries, retail and trade. Dave was awarded Dux of the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2011 and is sought-after as a judge and panel chair on the wine show circuit.
Find out more about Dave Brookes.
Jane is a journalist by training and wine writer by vocation. She started her career in newspapers, later working at The Age/The Sydney Morning Herald, and also in TV and radio. She is a sought-after wine judge, locally and internationally, and chairs numerous shows. A long-time contributor and columnist for Halliday magazine, she has been reviewing for the Companion since 2016..
Find out more about Jane Faulkner.
Jeni is a trained journalist, who was a cadet on Melbourne’s The Sun News-Pictorial newspaper (now Herald Sun) when she caught the wine bug. She covered wine in The Age for 30 years and is an author and wine judge here and overseas. Jeni has served on various wine bodies, is a founding board member of the Australian Women in Wine awards and has won numerous awards for wine writing over her career.
Find out more about Jeni Port.
Marcus Ellis has worked in wine and food for more than 30 years. For over a decade, he ran the acclaimed wine program at the Melbourne Wine Room – a seminal venue that helped establish the city’s robust local wine bar culture. Marcus has written and edited across a broad range of both food and wine content, hosts panel tastings with industry leaders and consults and writes for wineries and wholesalers.
Find out more about Marcus Ellis.
When Mike Bennie isn’t wandering vineyards across the globe, he is a freelance wine and drinks writer, journalist and presenter. He is also a co-founder and partner in the Sydney-based P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants, a store and education space devoted to artisan fermented, brewed and distilled products, and the chair of the Australian Organic Wine Awards.
Find out more about Mike Bennie.
Philip has more than 25 years’ experience as a wine retailer, educator, show judge and writer. He co-founded Melbourne’s Prince Wine Store and Bellota Wine Bar and wrote the monthly wine column for The Australian Financial Review Magazine for 17 years. In addition to tasting for the Companion, Philip helps look after France Soir’s 6000 bottle cellar is the new chair for the Limestone Coast Wine Show.
Find out more about Philip Rich.
Toni is a leading Australian wine judge, commentator, and critic. Her obsession with wine spans three decades, with her knowledge and passion underpinned by tertiary training in oenology and science. She has been a member of the Institute of Masters of Wine for two decades, passing the rigorous examination on her first attempt. She was awarded the prestigious Madame Lily Bollinger Medal for tasting excellence, joining an elite group of three Australian recipients.
Find out more about Toni Paterson MW.
