Medical practitioner, wine judge, wine importer and educator.
Hunter Valley, NSW
Ken’s career in the wine industry started whilst studying medicine at the University of Sydney where he began writing a food and wine column for Inominate, the journal of the Sydney University Medical Society. In those days Ken made the journey to the Hunter Valley wine region frequently, falling in love with the vineyards and making the Valley home a few years after graduation from Medical school.
He soon planted a vineyard and became Food and Beverage Manager at Kirkton Park Country House Hotel, rising to the level of General Manager of that property. During this sojourn from medicine he became acquainted with the legendary Len Evans and, showing some promise as a taster, was encouraged to formalise his training as a wine judge. Ken’s formal career as a wine judge started in 1996 as a trainee Associate at the Hunter Valley Wine Show.
Ken progressed as a judge and has judged frequently at the Hunter Valley Wine Show, the Royal Sydney Wine Show and the National Wine Show as well as being a regular judge at the Sydney International Wine Competition. In 2003 he was awarded the Petaluma Scholarship to attend the prestigious Len Evans Tutorials and received instruction from some of the legends of the Australian Wine Show System such as James Halliday, Iain Riggs, Ian MacKenzie and Brian Croser.
Although he runs a very busy medical practice in his beloved Hunter Valley he still finds time for wine education through the Pokolbin Sommeliers Group and the Hunter Wine Forum. He dabbles in wine production with a highly regarded Chardonnay and is a partner in the wine importing company Domaine Burgundy.