There is little doubt that Stephen Hickinbotham was one of the most talented winemakers of his generation, or any other. But you couldn’t just call Stephen a winemaker. His remarkably clear mind made him one of the most unique marketers, entrepreneurs and promoters of wine, more often than not promoting his own ideas. Part of the tragedy of Stephen’s untimely death in a Queensland air crash was that many of his projects were just coming to fruition – the marketing of the Cab Mac concept and technique around the world ( and to Beaujolais! ), the winery and vineyard development planned in the Mornington Peninsula area in Victoria, the promotion of Australian wine in airlines, and many more – and that he will not see the results of his own lateral thinking and drive. Two friends of Stephen, Mark Shield and Sarah Gough, have been instrumental in the establishment of the Stephen Hickinbotham Memorial Research Trust, to encourage further research and development work among professionals in the wine industry. The Trust was formally announced at a special dinner at Melbourne’s Petty Sessions Restaurant on Tuesday, October 7, at which 104 people attended ( in a restaurant which seats 100 ) after which $20,000 of the Trust’s goal of $100,000 had been raised, to make the project a reality. The Trust will be open to applications from people either working in the wine industry or attending a wine school or agricultural college, to conduct research in Australia or overseas. Winestate remembers Stephen Hickinbotham and pledges its support to the Trust set up in his name. We wish our sympathy to his family and friends and express the hope that through the Stephen Hickinbotham Memorial Trust and the many memories people have of him, Stephen’s name will live in the Australian wine industry for many generations.
