Tony Spawton dedicated his career to the marketing of wine as an expert for the Australian delegation to the OIV, teacher, consultant, writer and ambassador of a discipline he helped to create.
Originally from the country of Wales, he was an OIV delegate and expert for Australia between 1990 and 2008; in particular, he was the President of the “Market Analysis” Expert Group, and as such a member of the OIV Scientific and Technical Committee.
During long periods in Europe as an associate professor, Tony Spawton undertook research on risk reduction and changing consumption trends.
As Professor of Wine Marketing at the Roseworthy Agricultural College of the University of Adelaide, then at the School of Marketing of the University of South Australia, he was very active in different groups of the “Economy and Law” Commission and took part in the congresses in Cape Town, Paris, Lisbon, Bratislava, Budapest, Adelaide, Mainz and Buenos Aires.
His collaboration with numerous universities and schools led to him teaching in France, Spain, South Africa, Austria, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Hungary, Italy, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Portugal.
The author of a great many publications and of a reference book on wine marketing, he was an active member of the International University Association of Wine.
The OIV has highlighted and recognised his career dedicated to a new aspect of the field and the importance of wine marketing, which undoubtedly contributed to the significant development of the knowledge of markets and thus to the progression of the international wine trade, awarding him the OIV Merit Award in 2011.