Chardonnay Symposium 26

Julia Harding is a distinguished wine writer, editor, and Master of Wine, renowned for her expertise and attention to detail. With a Cambridge degree in Modern Languages, she initially worked as an academic book editor before her fascination with wine led her to a second career in wine writing. In 2004, she became a Master of Wine, passing first time and winning the Robert Mondavi Award for top theory papers, a distinction for her dissertation and the Tim Derouet Memorial Prize for overall excellence. For over 20 years, she has been Jancis Robinson’s senior editor at JancisRobinson.com.

As the Chief Winemaker behind some of Australia’s most critically acclaimed wines, Virginia leads the winemaking team at Margaret River’s founding wine estate, Vasse Felix. The 2026 vintage marks Virginia’s 20th year at Vasse Felix, having joined the estate as Chief Winemaker in October 2006.