The Newcastle media community is mourning the loss of John Lewis, the celebrated former Newcastle Herald editor and wine writer who has died aged 92 following a brief illness.
A Life Dedicated to Journalism and Family
John Lewis enjoyed a remarkable media career that spanned seven decades, leaving an indelible mark on Australian journalism and the Hunter Valley wine industry. He was married to his wife Ruth for 57 years and is survived by his two sons, Guy and Tim, along with five grandchildren.
His daughter-in-law Amanda Moore described him as a man of exceptional character. "He was a man of the utmost integrity and perspicacity; John was thoughtful, generous and profoundly kind," she told the Herald.
"We are so proud to have known and grown from our deeply cherished and much adored father, grandfather and father-in-law. Though the loss is immense, John lives on through the strong values of truth, civic duty and humanity he has rooted within his family. And of course, our inheritance of his love for a good drop of red."
From Cadet to Gold Walkley Winner
Born in Newcastle in 1933, Lewis began his journalism journey at the Armidale Express before moving to the Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga. He returned to Newcastle to join the afternoon tabloid Sun, where he rose to deputy editor before transitioning to the broadsheet Herald in 1979.
At the Herald, he started as a business writer and eventually became editor-in-chief, retiring from that position in 1993. His career highlight came in 1981 when he received Australian journalism's highest honour, the Gold Walkley, for his coverage of the battle for control of Newcastle television station NBN. He made history as the first regional journalist to receive this prestigious award.
ACM editorial director and former Herald editor Rod Quinn remembered Lewis as a master craftsman who shaped generations of journalists. "Newcastle Herald readers will remember him best for his discerning palate and 47 years of wine writing, but I will always remember him as my first editor," Quinn said.
"John was a leader who held his journalists to the highest standards. As an early adopter of the yellow sticky note, he was legendary for the comments he would leave on clippings in reporters' pigeonholes, pointing out where they had done well, or where they could improve. He was firm, fair, and forgiving, particularly of reporters who still had their training wheels on."
Australia's Longest-Running Wine Column
During his time at the Sun, Lewis launched his weekly 'Trencherman' column focusing on wine and food in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. This column continued for an incredible 47 years, believed to be the longest-running feature of its kind in Australia.
In more recent years, his weekly column appeared in the Newcastle Herald's midweek food pages, and he reviewed five wines each week in the Wednesday Herald and Saturday Weekender. He finally retired his pen when he turned 90 in 2023.
Reflecting on his approach to wine writing in a 2023 interview, Lewis said: "My approach has always been you give your readers your opinion, and the proviso is, it's my opinion, and you have every right to disagree and come to different conclusions. Wine is agriculture, but it is also art, high art."
The Hunter Valley wine industry honoured his extraordinary contributions by unveiling the John Lewis Newcastle Herald Trophy for museum red at the 2023 Hunter Valley Wine Show.
Chris Tyrrell from Tyrrell's Wines paid tribute to Lewis's unique approach. "A lot of wine writers will try and force their opinion on you, but John was more interested in how you got to the wine in the glass. He always wanted to learn, and he always wanted to listen. He was a brilliant conversationalist."
"Every year we would make sure John was on our table at the Hunter Valley Wine Show because we loved spending time with him. He was a true gentleman."
Lewis's legacy continues through the journalists he mentored and the wine community he championed, leaving behind a standard of excellence that will inspire future generations.
