Awards

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday July 26, 2007

Peter Bourne

Are show medals anything to go by? Peter Bourne judges the big competitions.

The Australian wine judging system started in the 19th century when producers displayed their wares alongside cattle, sheep, dogs and scones at agricultural shows. But that innocent era is gone - today, the competition is intense and the rewards mouth-watering.

Take, for example, the Jimmy Watson Trophy. Awarded to the best one-year-old red at the Melbourne Wine Show, it's said to be worth $1 million in free publicity. Not bad for a wine that's not yet in the bottle.

Apart from the major city shows - Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Hobart and Adelaide - regional shows in places such as Mudgee and Orange have proliferated.

The Australian show system awards medals on a quality basis. Wines are entered in classes with specific parameters such as grape variety and vintage. Each class is judged "blind" by a panel of three judges and a panel chair. Points are allocated for colour and condition, aroma and bouquet, structure, texture and flavour length. The maximum score for a perfect wine is 20 points, with those scoring an average of 18.5 and above awarded a gold medal. Silver is for 17 to 18.4 and bronze for 15.5 to 16.9.

Each show has different rules and standards vary. The Sydney Wine Show is regarded as Australia's best, with Adelaide close behind. The National Wine Show in Canberra, the country's best known, only accepts entries from Australian and New Zealand wines that have attained an award at a recognised show.

But what does this mean for consumers? In essence, a gold award at a major show is a good indicator of quality. Several golds testifies to both quality and consistency. But it's not mandatory to enter wine shows and your favourite wine may not be inferior just because it hasn't scored a show gong. Penfolds Grange hasn't been seen in an Australian show for more than 20 years.

The international wine-judging scene is equally frenetic. London alone hosts three major wine shows each year and there are many more held throughout Europe and North America. These shows have been a happy hunting ground for Australians, most notably the Wolf Blass company, which claims to have won "more than 3000 awards" at international wine shows since 1966.

The International Wine Challenge, the International Wine and Spirit Competition and the Decanter World Wine Awards are three credible shows in London. Each attracts up to 10,000 entries and an impressive number of qualified judges - the Decanter Awards panel includes Australia's Michael Hill Smith and The Sydney Morning Herald's Huon Hooke.

The Lowe family wines, from Mudgee and Orange, have enjoyed a swift rise to international stardom since their 2003 Zinfandel won best in the world at the 2005 International Wine Challenge, and gold again in 2006.

The Yarra Valley's Yering Station has also won numerous awards for its Reserve duo of pinot noir and shiraz viognier, and Yering's Tom Carson was named Winemaker of the Year at the 2004 International Wine and Spirit Competition.

So next time you see a bottle festooned with stickers, take a good look. Are they gold, silver or bronze? Do you recognise the name of the show? What was the year of the competition? And is this the type of wine you really want to buy? After all, you are the best person to judge your own taste.

2005 Shottesbrooke The Proprietor,

McLaren Vale, SA, $25

Winning silver in the 2007 International Wine Challenge and bronze in the 2007 Decanter World Wine Awards, this wine is only made in the best years - such as

2005. A Bordeaux-style cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec blend.

2005 La Curio

"The Nubile", McLaren Vale, SA, $28

This won gold and was judged the best Australian Rhone blend over #10 ($23.50) at the 2007 Decanter World Wine Awards. With flavours of raspberry leaf and coffee, this is not in the usual sweet, syrupy South Australian style.

2005 Wolf Blass Gold Label Shiraz,

Barossa, SA, $24

Winner of a gold at the 2007 International Wine Challenge, this shiraz is

a long way from the usual Wolf Blass "in your face" style. The 2005 is a slinky, spicy shiraz with sweet cherry and dark plum flavours overlaid with a lick of vanillin oak.

2005 Lowe Zinfandel, Mudgee, NSW, $40

The 2005 vintage has just been released and, unlike its predecessors, has yet to win a major award. An intense bouquet of sour cherries, Christmas pudding and liquorice allsorts. The palate has oodles of black fruit, sweet spices and dark chocolate flavours.

2005 Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier, Yarra Valley, Victoria, $65

This won gold at the 2006 International Wine & Spirit Competition and gold at the 2006 Vintage Cellars National Wine Show. Winemaker Tom Carson offers plenty of raspberry, spice and dark cherry aromas - plus a wondrous floral lift.

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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