Ron Potter and Lionel Irving have been posthumously awarded the 2025 Riverina Legend Trophy by the Riverina Winemakers Association. Photo: Supplied.
The late Ron Potter and the late Lionel Irving have been jointly awarded the 2025 Riverina Legend Trophy by the Riverina Winemakers Association.
The pair was well known within the Griffith community for their work with A&G Engineering, which provided equipment and solutions for wineries across the world.
The duo later co-founded Flavourtech, which recently took home the title of Business of the Year at the 2025 Riverina Murray Regional Business Awards.
Ron received the Maurice O’Shea gong from the Australian Wine Industry Awards and an Order of Australia Medal. Ron died in 2012, and his partner Lionel in 2021.
“This year, it stood out that there are some people whose work and life leave a very profound mark — so profound that they continue to be recognised generations later, despite some of the wine show committee never having met them personally,” Riverina Wine Show Committee spokesperson Carrah Lymer said.
“Their legend of innovation, work ethic, and excellence still lives on today.
“In 1963, Ron Potter, a newly qualified oenologist, began engineering better winemaking solutions from a small Griffith workshop. He soon partnered with Lionel Irving, whose drive and values matched his own perfectly. Together, they grew a three-person operation into an internationally recognised business, A&G Engineering.
“Their impact on our industry cannot be overstated. Ron’s revolutionary fermenter design transformed Australian winemaking and gained worldwide adoption — the refined version still sets the standard for red-wine production today.
“Lionel Irving, beloved for his community generosity, devoted over 50 years to the business before passing in 2021.
“Respected, revered, and remembered for their hard work, tenacity, ingenuity, and generosity, the ripple effect of their work has benefited countless people. They have truly left a legacy that deserves to continue to receive the admiration of our region, industry, and community.”
Members of both families, including Ron’s son Chris, attended the awards ceremony and accepted the accolade on their behalf.
“Ron and Lionel were never comfortable with accolades, so they would be pretty happy to have gotten away with not having to be up here on stage,” Chris said.
“However, they certainly would have been very comfortable at a boozy long lunch, and a bunch of industry stalwarts to share a bottle of plonk with – that is one environment in which they felt completely at home!
”To the association, the committee and the organisers, on behalf of the Potter and Irving families, and the A&G Group, we thank you for this recognition and are proud to continue to support the industry that has provided so much joy to our families.”
