Chris Shanahan is an Australian wine writer, wine show judge, beer writer and beer show judge.

In 1976 Chris joined Farmer Bros Wine & Spirit Merchants, later becoming a partner and Director of Marketing for its Australia-wide retailing and direct marketing operations.

Chris was one of three Farmer Bros wine selectors and travelled extensively throughout Australia, France, Italy and New Zealand, buying wine and writing for the fifty-thousand-circulation Farmer Bros Newsletter.

During this time Farmer Bros imported direct from some of the world’s great producers, including Domaine Leflaive, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Domaine George Roumier, Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Domaine Francois Raveneau, E. Guigal et Fils, Chateau Rayas, Champagne Joseph Perrier et Fils, La Coulee de Serrant, Warres Port and Rutherford and Miles Madeira.

As well Farmer Bros sourced more modestly priced wines from France, Spain, Italy, New Zealand and Australia.

In 1981 Chris won the professional division of the Vin de Champagne Award and a four-week study tour of France’s Champagne region. On returning he wrote feature articles for The Australian Financial Review and judged at the National Wine Show of Australia.

In 1986 Chris began his popular weekly wine feature for The Canberra Times and in 2005 added a weekly beer column – having judged at the Australian International Beer Awards for ten years.

In 1995 Chris joined Coles Myer’s liquor division and enjoyed various creative, marketing, communications and wine consulting roles for the group’s Australia-wide retail brands. He played a key role in establishing and developing the 80-store fine wine chain, Vintage Cellars, heading the tasting panel, consulting to its buyers in Australia, France, Italy and New Zealand and writing the ninety-thousand-circulation Newsletter, Vintage Cellars Cellar Press.

In 2004 Chris became a freelance writer and marketing communications consultant. He continues to judge at wine and beer shows and to write for The Canberra Times.

He brings a pragmatic approach to wine based on thirty years of buying direct from winemakers and selling direct to drinkers.