About the workshops

Adding a Sparkling wine to your portfolio could be your most profitable move in 2026. Global Sparkling wine sales have been growing steadily for over 20 years, totally outperforming still wine and the sweet spot for growth is in the $20-$30 per bottle range – so Charmat and carbonation are the two methods you need to know about to give you bang for buck.

This can be a great opportunity for a lot of businesses – of all sizes – to introduce a product that is profitable and adds flexibility to your portfolio. There are lots of options and considerations when making sparkling wine and it can be the most technically demanding style, which means a lot don’t consider it viable – but it can be made affordably, add seasonal flexibility and deliver results in a relatively short space of time.

This workshop is commercial in focus, providing you with an overview of what you need to know from a business, winemaking and viticulture perspective to make sparkling wine that not only sells but sells profitably. Wine Network Consulting’s sparkling wine experts will provide insights into the opportunities, the common traps and an interactive tasting session looking at examples of what to do and what not to do.

This is a free event run by Wine Network Consulting at their state-of-the-art tasting room in Healesville and at the Marnong Estate winery in Mickleham. Register to secure your place now and learn more about how sparkling wine could be a great option for your business.

There are a limited number of seats available, so if you miss out and would like to be added to the cancellation list, please contact us here. Or if you can’t make it to the workshops but you would like to discuss sparkling wine production and opportunities with one of our consultants, please contact Glenn Thompson.

About the presenters 

Mark O’Callaghan – Managing Director & Senior Consultant, Wine Network Consulting

Mark was the recipient of the 2023 ASVO Winemaker of the Year award, in recognition of his professional excellence and contribution to the wine industry. A senior wine show judge, he is also a Panel Chair at the Royal National Wine Show and Chair of Judges for the Royal Hobart Wine Show.

Mark has worked for many years on sparkling wines for clients in Australia and internationally, including various English producers and some of the top wines in the country. With experience across a diverse range of regions, production methods, styles and price points, he has incredible insight into the whole-of-business perspective and is focused on optimising quality and processes – from finessing already excellent wines, to identifying and fixing problems.

Before joining Wine Network Consulting, Mark spent many years as a winemaker at Hardy’s and it was during this time that he was mentored by Ed Carr, who helped shape Mark’s expertise and in-depth knowledge of sparkling wine production.

Glenn Thompson – Consultant, Wine Network Consulting

Glenn’s expertise in sparkling winemaking was developed during his 17 years at Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley, where he was also part of their global winemaking technical committee. He has extensive sparkling wine production experience, as well as an in-depth understanding of brand positioning from packaging, through to customer experience and target markets. Glenn works with a range of clients, specialising in sparkling and cool climate winemaking, from vineyard through to production and advice on quality and style.

Glenn is a regular wine show judge, a Panel Chair at the Rutherglen Wine Show and was a committee member for the Australian Sparkling Wine Show for 10 years. He is a Len Evans Tutorial Scholar and has also been a guest lecturer on sparkling wine at Charles Sturt University.

Adam Keath – Consultant, Wine Network Consulting

Adam is an expert in sparkling wine production and spent 20 years at Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley, where was the Operations Winemaker and part of their international innovations committee. This included leading a multimillion-dollar upgrade of Chandon’s tirage and disgorge facilities, transforming the 1980s set-up with state-of-the-art technology and robotics.

Adam consults on a range of service areas, specialising in winery operations; equipment optimisation; capital expenditure plans; process evaluation and continuous improvement; as well as training and management strategies. He has experience in a diverse range of international regions and is a guest lecturer on sparkling wine production at Charles Sturt University.

Mick Griffith – Viticulturist, Wine Network Consulting

Mick is an expert in high-end and commercial viticulture, responsible for growing grapes for some of Australia’s most recognised and award winning sparkling and still wines. Before joining Wine Network he spent 8 years as Vineyard Operations Manager at Domaine Chandon and 11 years at Brown Brothers across various sites and regions as a Viticulturist and Vineyard manager.

A specialist in viticulture for sparkling wine, Mick has presented extensively at technical workshops and symposiums as well as working with a range of industry bodies and research organisations. Mick consults on all areas of viticulture and vineyard management, with a focus on improving operational efficiencies and profitability through process improvement strategies, training and new technology implementation. He has a keen interest in vineyard sustainability, optimising production and quality through constructive land management.

About our sparkling wine services

Wine Network Consulting provides expert advice and specialised services to wine businesses and industry associations throughout Australia and internationally. This includes a comprehensive sparkling wine advisory service by a team whose collective expertise encompasses all aspects of this segment of the industry and who are leaders in this field.

We work with a diverse range of businesses, from small boutique producers to large commercial operations, working with various wine styles, methods, regions and pricing considerations. Sparkling wine requires a higher level of precision, planning and attention to detail than most other wine styles. Our sparkling winemakers provide advice and assistance to new and established sparkling wine producers, from vineyard development and planning through to production methods and operational requirements. This includes from harvest to base wines and secondary production, including wine styles; quality assessments; technical winemaking; logistics; lab processes; yeast cultures; and more.

You can read more about the sparkling wine opportunities and production in these articles written by our Managing Director, Mark O’Callaghan:

The Sparkling opportunity: Hiding in plain sight

Double, double, toil and trouble – with bubbles