Australia is top scorer in wine competition

Australia has excelled in this year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) by being awarded a third of all the Gold medals. The country cleaned up with 38 Best in Class Golds as well as another six Gold medals.

Allen Gibbons, executive director of the IWSC, said, ‘Considering that across the entire wine entries from around the world we only awarded 118 Golds in total, this is a marvellous vote of confidence in Australian wines.’

Kirsten Moore, Wine Australia regional manager for the UK, said, ‘We are absolutely thrilled with these results. In recent years there has been a significantly more focussed and critical approach by our producers to ensure that the end quality of the wine is paramount in the wine-making process. There is a determined mix that brings together a scientific approach and first-rate technology with meticulous viticultural practices, extensive site trialling and experimentation. We have all of this plus a real passion for what we are doing in Australia with our wine.’

Among Australia’s prizes was the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Trophy for blended wine, which went to Taylors Eighty Acres Cabernet/Shiraz/Merlot 2005. Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 won the Warren Winiarski Trophy for Cabernet Sauvignon and Kilikanoon Mort’s Block Watervale Riesling 2006 was awarded the IWSC Trophy for Riesling. Brown Brothers took the trophy for Bottle-fermented Sparkling Wine.

However, South Africa also scored some good successes, by picking up four Trophies, including a couple of top grape varieties worldwide. Nederburg Manor House Shiraz 2005 won the Shiraz Trophy while Jordan Chardonnay 2005 took the Chardonnay Trophy.