The Judging Panel
II / IVWine maverick. Rule-breaker. Legacy maker.
Lisa McGuigan isn't just part of Australian wine royalty — she is wine royalty with a rebel edge. As the fourth generation of the iconic McGuigan winemaking dynasty, Lisa has wine in her veins, legacy in her DNA, and ambition that's anything but traditional.
“It's not just about the wine; it's about the experience.”Lisa McGuigan
The road less travelled
Lisa has never once taken the obvious next step. Here is the short version.
Born into the prestigious vineyards of the Hunter Valley, Lisa took the road less travelled. Before claiming her place in the family's storied wine history, she carved out her own empire in the world of luxury hospitality.
Her last stop? Leading the wine program at a 5-star Sydney hotel, curating world-class drops and sharpening her impeccable taste.
But the vines called her home. In the mid-90s, Lisa returned to the Hunter — not to follow in footsteps, but to stomp out a new path. What came next was Tempus Two — her bold, genre-defying wine label that shattered expectations and redefined what Australian wine could look and feel like.
From local buzz to global domination, Tempus Two became an international sensation, selling over 100,000 cases a year and turning ten with a bang in 2007.
But Lisa doesn't settle. That same year, she pivoted again — launching Lisa's Wine Vaults, a boutique retail concept that brought her signature taste and attitude to wine lovers in a whole new way.
By 2010, the passion never really left — it just found a new home, and Lisa McGuigan Wines was born — a brand that's unapologetically her. Sophisticated, edgy, and entirely unbound by convention, this collection is Lisa unleashed — blending decades of expertise with fearless innovation.
And then came VAMP — the ultimate expression of Lisa's world. Opened in 2019 in her hometown of Pokolbin, VAMP is no ordinary cellar door. It's a unique, medieval-meets-modern masterpiece, dripping with gothic glam, bold architecture, and dark elegance.
Every inch is infused with Lisa's obsession for design, fashion, and wine — a space where chainmail meets crystal, and ancient stone collides with luxe textures. It's immersive. It's theatrical. It's unlike anything the wine world has ever seen.
A dream over a decade in the making, VAMP by Lisa McGuigan isn't just a venue — it's a living reflection of everything she loves, built on attitude, artistry, and absolute authenticity.
What she'll be scoring
Judges score independently against the published criteria before conferring. One hundred points are on the table, and this is how they're divided.
Has anyone seen this before? The idea has to be yours.
How well it's actually made — the joins, the finish, the hours that show.
Goggles alone won't do it. We're looking for a real connection to the theme.
What the work does to a room, and how well you've shown it to us.
Lisa McGuigan isn't just making wine. She's creating worlds. And she's doing it her way.