The Graham Gregory Award

At the 2023 ICC Sydney NSW Wine Awards, our Swinging Bridge owner and winemaker, Tom Ward, received the prestigious Graham Gregory Award for outstanding contribution to the NSW wine industry.

‘[The] award celebrates those that contribute to the NSW wine industry’s continuing growth and success’ Dr Alison Bowman, the NSW Department of Primary Industries Group Director of Plant Systems, said of the award. ‘It is named in honour of Graham Gregory, a pioneer of the NSW wine industry and a former DPI Deputy Director General in Agriculture.

‘Mr Ward is a respected Orange vigneron that has played an integral role in the NSW wine industry, through his outstanding leadership roles and enhancing the profile of the NSW wine industry at a regional and state level’.

Tom has been involved in the NSW wine industry for over 20 years, having held the positions of President of the NSW Wine Industry Association, President of the Orange Regional Vignerons Association and Cowra Regional Vignerons Association, and is current Board Member of Orange 360.

Current NSW Wine Industry Association President Mark Bourne said of Tom, ‘his contributions to the NSW wine industry at regional, state and national is impressive and a sign of his commitment to a sustainable future for the first state of wine. I congratulate Tom as a well-deserved Graham Gregory Award winner and we thank him for his contributions and significant long lasting legacies to the NSW wine industry’.

Tom is continuing to advocate for the NSW wine industry on a national stage, and we thank him for all the hard work he puts into not only Swinging Bridge, but the region as a whole.