On Thursday 6 November, Max Allen was named the 2025 Wine Communicator of the Year by Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA), becoming the first person to win the award twice. He previously received the title in 2018.
The announcement came at the close of WCA’s annual awards night at Darling Harbour in Sydney, with Allen delivering his acceptance speech by live stream from Germany.
Guests also celebrated the thirteen category winners, featuring wines from previous Sydney Royal and Royal Adelaide wine shows.
The annual Wine Communicator Awards recognise excellence in wine communication across multiple formats. Twenty-nine experienced industry professionals judged entries in thirteen categories, assessing creativity, knowledge and engagement.
“The Wine Communicator Awards are the pinnacle of recognition for professionals who tell the story of wine in Australia. Each winner represents best practice in engaging and educating audiences, from cellar doors to national campaigns,” said WCA national chair Lynda Schenk.
“Max Allen was selected as this year’s overall winner, as voted by the WCA Board. His work continues to set the benchmark for written wine communication in Australia – consistently insightful, authentic, and grounded in deep industry knowledge.
“On behalf of WCA, I congratulate Max on being named Wine Communicator of the Year for a second time – the first person ever to receive this award twice. It’s a remarkable achievement that reflects his sustained excellence and influence in shaping how Australia communicates about wine.”