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Our Educators

National Wine Education & Training Centre educators are a passionate bunch. They are all professionally involved in the wine industry, from winemaking and wine marketing through to sensory science and research.

They are dedicated to sharing the knowledge, personal stories, expertise and experience they have gained through their years in the Australian wine industry.

Hylton McLean

With a career spanning over 30 years, Hylton has held several roles within the wine industry.

During an academic career at Roseworthy and later at the University of Adelaide, Hylton taught and conducted research in Oenology. Then, after serving 10 years as the senior winemaker at Orlando wines, Hylton and his partner Jane Bromley fulfilled their dream of establishing a vineyard on their doorstep, producing small-batch cool-climate wines.

Their winery Honey Moon Vineyard is located in the Adelaide Hills and their Shiraz was awarded the inaugural trophy for Best Wine of Provenance in the 2017 Adelaide Hills Wine Show.

Pati Williamson

Pati started her wine journey as an intern at E&J Gallo winery in California and has since gained extensive experience in Sensory and Consumer Research.

She has a PhD in Wine Marketing from the University of South Australia and has completed the Advanced Assessment Wine Course. Currently she works at the Australian Wine Research Institute as a sensory scientist while also undertaking the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 Diploma in Wines.

Pati loves sharing her expertise and finding the best way to communicate with consumers from different cultural backgrounds.

Yaelle Saltman

Yaelle has a background in winemaking, the art of wine sensory and food & wine pairing.

After completing her Oenology degree from the University of Adelaide, Yaelle travelled the world, working her way from cellar hand to head winemaker in wineries in Bordeaux, Napa Valley, New Zealand and Israel. Yaelle came back to Adelaide to complete a PhD in Sensory Science has since worked at the University as a sensory panel leader and at SARDI.

Yaelle truly loves the opportunity being a wine communicator gives her to share the stories, knowledge and experience she has collected throughout her career.

Sean Glasson

Sean’s past life working with Kodak as a motion picture expert took him all over the world. In both New Zealand and South Africa, Sean was bitten by the wine bug. He would run motion picture labs by day, but spent all his downtime making wine. Sean eventually moved to Sydney and started a winemaking degree at Charles Sturt University.

After graduating, Sean was a contract winemaker on the far south coast of NSW, where he remained until early 2020 when fires burnt out the wineries in the region.

Sean and his family moved to Adelaide, where he’s worked at several McLaren Vale wineries in anticipation of setting up his own label in the not-too-distant future.

Sid Pachare

Sid started his career as a Chef, and a European escapade led him to the wonderful world of wine. After completing his Viticulture and Oenology degree with Honours from the University of Adelaide, Sid worked as a sommelier and in wineries across Australia before settling in the Adelaide Hills. Currently working as an Assistant Winemaker at Watkins Grape and Wine, he also produces wines under his own label RAGA, which focuses on making high-quality, lo-fi wines using organic and sustainably grown grapes.

Sid has completed the Advanced Wine Assessment Course and WSET level 3 Course and serves as a judge for wine shows.

National Wine Education & Training Centre

Want to learn more about wine?