WINE Magazine 2022 Viticulturist of the Year

Originally published by Wine Titles Medias': Daily Wine News.

The Hunter Valley’s Liz Riley has been awarded 2022 Viticulturist of the Year!

Fellow Hunter Valley producer, Scarborough Wine Co.'s viticulturist and family member Liz Riley, has been named as the Wine Magazine’s Viticulturist of the Year.

A trailblazer in her field, Riley is a renowned viticulturist with over 30 years in the industry. As well as her long-term commitment to Scarborough Wine Co., she also consults for multiple wineries (including Briar Ridge Vineyard) across the Hunter Valley and New South Wales regions via her business Vitibit.

Riley has been recognised several times for her expertise and pioneering innovation in the vineyard, including the mainstream use of sunscreen application on vines to preserve fruit quality in drought and heatwaves. Her dedication to finding solutions, often under difficult circumstances, is unwavering and has led to her being relied upon across Australia to guide and advise on viticultural best practices.

 “Liz Riley’s most important work has been done close to her home with Jerome Scarborough in the Hunter Valley. Her areas of influence, however, have spread to other NSW regions, the Granite Belt and Tasmania as well as through her role as a director of the AWRI for more than ten years,” Forrestal said.

“Her hands-on work as a consultant, focusing on sustainable viticulture, has been widely influential and has resulted in Liz becoming our tenth Viticulturist of the Year.”

Riley said that she was delighted with her award.

“The wine industry is so collegial and it’s a proud moment to be recognised for the role I play in it. For me, it’s about being nimble and open to trying new things, while respecting the land that is under my stewardship. I am all for evolving viticulture practices in the vineyard when needed, and more than ever I’m looking to innovation and sustainability to build the resilience we need in the vineyard, to help us survive and thrive in unpredictable climates.”

In 2021, Riley was awarded the prestigious 2020 Graham Gregory Award, recognising her contribution to the NSW wine industry. She is the first woman to win the award.

Riley was also acknowledged by Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism with the Award for Excellence following her response to the bushfire challenges of 2020.

In 2017, Riley was named Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) Viticulturist of the Year. 

This year, Riley, her husband Jerome Scarborough and sister in-law Sally Scarborough collaborated on a special new range of Scarborough wine, Keepers of the Flame. Produced from small parcels of fruit from their Hunter Valley vineyards, this is a premium wine release launching with three vintages of Chardonnay, 2019, 2020 and 2021.  

Riley studied viticulture at Roseworthy Agricultural College where she met husband and winemaker, Jerome. They have two children, Callum and Hannah.