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Sommnet.com is site for the professional and discerning members of the wine and spirits industry. It provides up to the minute and
relevant information on products, producers, and activities within the industry. The information is provided in a variety of
technologies, Web Internet, Mobile Internet (WAP), and subscriber services.
Sommnet.com has been conceived and implemented by people within the industry, and in conjunction with Internet professionals 123 Internet Ltd, the system provides a fast and efficient way to keep up
to date with what is happening all over the world.
The Sommnet.com site provides a combination of breaking news, drink taste notes, industry information, encyclopedic information on
producing countries and regions, with climate and production statistics. Data is added on a daily basis, so the site is worth a
visit every day.
Sommnet.com is focused on the world marketplace, and employs journalists and tasters from all over the world. We have included some
of the biographies of some of those involved in the production and contribution of Sommnet.com.
Managing editor
Keith has been involved in the wine industry since 1970, when he began work as a trainee sommelier. Since then he has worked as a
sommelier, cellar rat, sales representative, and wine merchant in Europe and New Zealand before establishing himself as a wine
critic.
He has been published in numerous magazines, including The Wine Spectator and Wine and Spirit (UK), and for 12 years has been the
drinks columnist for New Zealand's leading weekly news magazine, The Listener. He is also the author of 13 books, on subjects as
diverse as garden history, art criticism and wine, and had his first novel "Afterheat" published in 1999. His latest publication,
'Taste of the Earth' with wine photographer and winemaker extraordinaire, Kevin Judd, explores the development of an indigenous
terroir in New Zealand's unique environment.
Research manager
Ann has been a research librarian for a number of leading corporates, including Lion Breweries and the ANZ bank, with a penchant
for finding gold plated sources amongst the Internet's chaos, with particular interest in technology and business information.
A graduate of Victoria University, Wellington, she has a taste for good Champagne, a well considered garden and providing her cats
with a lifestyle that is probably far to good for them.
Science and technology correspondent
Arthur Everard has spent the last four decades writing (albeit not full-time). At Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
(where he graduated BA, majoring in Psychology with back-up units in English, Physics and Chemistry) he wrote film and record
reviews for the student newspaper and enjoyed McWilliams' Bakano (made from nondescript hybrid reds) and Cresta Dore
(Muller-Thurgau). Joining the National Film Unit, he wrote and directed scripts and commentaries for films and television
programmes. He vividly remembers meeting Tom McDonald when filming (and tasting) at Church Road in Taradale, Hawkes Bay long before
he had achieved iconic status in New Zealand winemaking. While on location he discovered the joys of tracking down different wines
in unexpected places (he still has two bottles of Chateau d'Yquem, 1966 and 1968, which he bought for $NZ25 each in Stoke, near
Nelson, the only top class wine he has and thus will never drink and, anyway these were poor vintages.) For many years he also
wrote record reviews for newspapers and The New Zealand Listener.
Systems Design Engineer.
Gary is a software and electronic engineer who now specialises in Internet related technologies. He has
developed the Sommnet website, and his company 123 Internet Ltd hosts the Sommnet.com web and WAP sites.
Gary also works as a software coach for larger companies, teaching software development skills and consulting on the design of software products. These have included one of the most popular medical practice software products Medtech 32 for Health Technology
Ltd, a hotel management product for Sanderson Computers Ltd called Maxial, and a range of other companies including Telstra Clear, Fisher & Paykel, Navman and NZQA.
During the filming of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy in New Zealand he developed software to handle the procurement and management of over 16,000 film extras for the largest agency in New Zealand. Using the Internet and digital film technology, the system facilitated the management of this large number of extras in multiple locations around New Zealand, dealing with initial assessment through to online payments.
Gary is currently a Lecturer in Information Technology at the Waiariki Institute of Technology in Rotorua, and is also a training consultant to Borland Software, one of the largest US Software Tools companies, and teaches the Borland Delphi Training courses in New Zealand. He has been a speaker at their International conferences, and manages the Delphi User Group in NZ. His latest venture has been to promote the open source Moodle product, an online course management system for educational and training organisations.
Keith Stewart
Ann Everard
Arthur Everard
Gary Benner
