The Great Wine Capitals Outbound Knowledge Exchange Bursary Program gives wine industry professionals, academics, and researchers the chance to travel to other wine regions across the globe and share their learnings with the South Australian industry upon their return.
It offers valuable professional development opportunities that strengthen skills, encourage knowledge exchange, and enable insights that benefit South Australia’s wine sector.
Each bursary, valued at $6,000, supports travel to one or more Great Wine Capitals between October 2025 and March 2026. During their travels, recipients will engage with industry, regional, and academic experts, sharing insights and gaining knowledge about global practices, sustainability, and innovation in viticulture, winemaking, tourism, and research.
The recipients of 2025–26 Outbound Knowledge Exchange bursaries are:
| Recipient | Company | Region | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samantha Scarratt | Vinehealth Australia | Adelaide | San Francisco/Napa Valley, U.S. |
| Yihe Sui | Adelaide University | Adelaide | Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand |
| Sarah Carlson | Adelaide Hills Wine Region | Adelaide Hills | Bordeaux, France |
| Sarah Lavelle | Sevenhill Cellars | Clare Valley | San Francisco/Napa Valley, U.S. |
| Hanne Norvag Thomas | Langhorne Creek Grape & Wine Inc. | Langhorne Creek | Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand |
| Elaine Ratcliffe | Randall Wine Group – Seppeltsfield Wines | Barossa Valley | Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand |
| Tyson Bitter | Treasury Wine Estates | Barossa Valley | Porto, Portugal |
| Suzanne McLoughlin | Australian Wine Research Institute | Adelaide | Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand |
Through these international exchanges, participants will collaborate with global wine professionals in their chosen destinations to deepen knowledge across viticulture and winemaking.
Samantha Scarratt from Vinehealth Australia was awarded the Viticulture Bursary, sponsored by Wine Australia, to travel to Napa Valley to explore how viticulturists and researchers manage Pierce’s disease.
Yihe (Eva) Sui from the University of Adelaide was awarded the Winemaking Bursary, also sponsored by Wine Australia, to visit Hawke’s Bay to exchange knowledge on wine stability management, focusing on sustainable alternatives to traditional stabilisation methods.
Suzanne McLoughlin from the Australian Wine Research Institute was awarded the bursary from the Wine Grape Council of SA to attend the International Council for the Study of Virus and Virus-Like Diseases in Hawke’s Bay, looking into grapevine virus identification and management.
The Outbound Knowledge Exchange Bursary Program is made possible through Adelaide’s membership in the Great Wine Capitals Global Network (GWCGN), which brings together 11 internationally renowned wine regions, including Bordeaux and Napa Valley.
The program is supported by the Great Wine Capitals Adelaide Steering Committee, which is a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, the SA Wine Industry Association, the South Australian Tourism Commission and the University of Adelaide. Additional bursaries are generously supported by Wine Australia and the Wine Grape Council of SA.
Learn more about the Great Wine Capitals Outbound Knowledge Exchange Bursary Program.
Photo: supplied by Cristobal Onetto