Winemaker, Consultant & Journalist.
NSW
Toni Paterson MW is one of Australia’s leading wine commentators.
Over a near twenty-year writing career, she has contributed to numerous publications, writing hundreds of articles advising wine lovers on what to try and buy. She has been the Drinks Writer for Australian House and Garden magazine for a decade and is a contributor and tasting panellist for Gourmet Traveller WINE. She has authored three consumer wine guides, published by Random House, and has been a columnist for Australian Good Food and Life etc. magazine. She has also contributed to the Qantas inflight magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, and The Real Review, to name but a few.
Paterson, at the age of 28, passed the rigorous Master of Wine (MW) examinations in 2001 on her first attempt and was awarded the prestigious Madame Lily Bollinger Medal for tasting excellence. She completed her MW dissertation on Australian Chardonnay: Past, Present and Future, before being formally admitted as a member of the institute in 2003. Paterson has a degree in Applied Science, majoring in Biotechnology, as well as a Masters in Oenology, where she researched the impact of pH and acidity levels on the aromas and flavours of sparkling wine and Champagne. After university Paterson worked as a winemaker in Victoria and South Australia, before relocating to London, where she had a marketing and promotional role throughout Europe and Scandinavia. During her time abroad, she amassed an international wine perspective that further adds to her value as a commentator and critic.
Paterson has judged at many international and local wine shows including, but not limited to, the Decanter World Wine Awards, International Wine Challenge, International Wine and Spirit Competition, Canberra International Riesling Challenge, Adelaide Wine Show, Sydney Royal Wine Show, Boutique Wine Awards and Mudgee Wine Show, as well as chairing the Marananga, Orange and Australian Highlands Wine Shows. She is involved in the Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Awards and is a Deputy Chair of the Wine List of the Year Awards, in Australia and China.
Paterson combines her love of wine with her passion for food, cooking, photography, music and travel. She currently resides in Sydney with husband Anthony and their three children, two dogs and two cats.