Sommelier of the Year: Amanda Yallop
A wine professional who has a deep knowledge of the subject while helping to influence and inspire.
Fink
To be honest, this recognition is a bit overdue. Amanda Yallop has been with Fink since 2006, starting as a line sommelier and taking on the group wine director role in 2018. Today, she manages the wine programs across Quay, Bennelong and Otto, and while she may not be on the floor as often as she once was, her mentorship and love of local producers is felt throughout all the restaurants.
See the wine list at Bennelong, for example. It names and thanks all the previous head sommeliers who have contributed to the list. At Quay, Yallop led the charge to create one the best champagne collections in the country, but is equally passionate about showcasing Australian wines that can compete with the best stuff from Europe. She can also read a guest’s mind with borderline psychic ability to know exactly what you want to drink before you do.
A Len Evans Tutorial scholar in 2013, Yallop has long been an active wine show judge, too, and helps to better not just wine at the cellars she manages but the industry as a whole.
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