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Tulloch Wines Wins Heritage Award at Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards
Tulloch Wines was awarded the 2012 Heritage Award at the sixth annual Hunter Valley Legends and Wine Industry Awards at a gala event held at Lindeman's Winery in the month of May. Tulloch Wines received the honour for the Pokolbin Dry Red label, which was first used in 1952.
The Heritage Award is sponsored by Brian and Fay McGuigan and honours the 176 year history of the Hunter Valley as Australia's oldest commercial wine region, through the recognition and preservation of the areas icons and forebears. The recipient of the award is selected by the Living Legends.
Jay Tulloch said, "It is a proud moment to have this label honoured. The history and ongoing success of Tulloch, which is now in its 117th year, is closely linked to this label and to have it formally recognised as one of the important icons of the Hunter Valley is a fantastic honour."
Hector Tulloch first used the Pokolbin Dry Red label for Shiraz in 1952 along with its brother wine, Pokolbin Dry Red Private Bin, which became one of the premium red wines of Australia in the 1950's and 60's, enjoying a reputation that was second to none.
Up until the early 1950's Tulloch Wines had been sold mainly in bulk to other wine companies such as Lindeman's, Hardy's, Mildara and Maurice O'Shea. As table wine came into popularity following the Second World War, Hector Tulloch decided that Tulloch Wines should be sold under their own label.
Hector consulted a printer friend and was given some labels to look at, and from this emerged the iconic Pokolbin Dry Red, Private Bin and Hunter River White (later to be known as Pokolbin Riesling) labels. With the help of Sydney Wine Merchants, Johnny Walker and later Harry Brown, Pokolbin Dry Red and Pokolbin Riesling appeared on most restaurant wine lists in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The famed 1954 vintage of Pokolbin Dry Red Private Bin won First Prize for Claret, First Prize for Burgundy and the Best Red Wine of the Royal Sydney Show in 1956, cementing this labels reputation as one of Australia's great wines and putting the Pokolbin region on the map for premium table wine.
The current releases under this label include the Tulloch 2010 Pokolbin Dry Red Shiraz and Tulloch 2010 Pokolbin Dry Red Private Bin Shiraz.
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All Saints Estate Strikes Gold In London
The results for the 2012 Decanter World Wine Awards were officially announced at the 32nd London International Wine Fair this year.
All Saints Estate was thrilled to have been awarded one gold and two silver medals for its range of fortified Grand, Rare and Rutherglen Muscats. The winery also received a silver medal for its All Saints Estate 2010 Marsanne.
In addition to this win, All Saints Estate also celebrated with the release of the official results for the world's largest wine competition, the 2012 International Wine Challenge. Our winemaking team were delighted to receive three more gold medals for the Rutherglen, Grand and Rare Muscats as well as 'Commended' for its All Saints Estate 2010 Durif.
"All Saints Estate won the first Australian Gold Medal in London over 100 years ago and now we can claim four more. It's a fantastic result for our winemaking team, Dan Crane and Nicholas Brown, and shows our international credentials as producers of exceptional wine," says Eliza Brown, CEO.
Chief Winemaker Dan Crane is also very excited to "show the potential of this treasured corner of North East Victoria to the world".
Eliza runs daily operations of the estate alongside her two siblings Angela and Nicholas Brown.
All share the vision of producing outstanding premium table wines and Australia's finest winery experience. They believe that innovation, youthful passion, sustainability, a healthy respect for traditional winemaking and a talented team of people are the key to delivering that vision.
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Langhorne Creek Winners Announced
It was party time at Langhorne Creek on the 4th of May, when a crowd of nearly 300 winemakers, grape growers, media, politicians and industry partners marked the end of a successful vintage 2012 and unveiled the winners of the 2012 Langhorne Creek Winemakers Showcase at the 12th anniversary of the Langhorne Creek Winemakers' Luncheon.
The Langhorne Creek Winemakers Showcase awards the top wines coming from the Langhorne Creek wine region as judged by an independent panel of judges. This year's judging panel included Mike Farmilo, Jane Faulkner, Phil Reedman and Kym Milne as judges and Richard Mattner from Treasury Wine Estates as the Associate Judge.
Awards were presented in 8 categories reflecting the wines of Langhorne Creek:
Step Road took out the Geek Champion Trophy for their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was also awarded Best Cabernet Sauvignon of the Showcase.
Lake Breeze collected both the award for Best Sparkling, White or Rosé for their 2009 Reserve Chardonnay as well as collecting the inaugural Producer of the Year award for best overall performance by a winery.
Handcrafted by Geoff Hardy collected the trophy for Best Alternative of other Wine for the 2010 Primitivo, while Temple Bruer won the Best Red Blend award for their 2006 Shiraz Malbec.
The Best Shiraz award went to Bremerton for their 2009 Selkirk Shiraz and the Best Pre-Release was awarded to Kimbolton for the Kimbolton Rifleman Cabernet Sauvignon 2010. A charity wine auction was also held during the day, with eight special format wines auctioned off to the attendees. Part proceeds from the auction are to be donated to the Melinda Reilly's Beyond Blue Fundraising.
The winning wines from the Winemakers Showcase and all of the other 140 entered wines were available for tasting at Langhorne Creek Winemakers Showcase Tasting held on the 6th of May at the Langhorne Creek Memorial Hall.
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Deep Woods Estate Wins Two Gold Medals
Fogarty Wine Group (FWG) is excited to announce that its Margaret River winery, Deep Woods Estate, has been awarded two Gold Medals-one for the Deep Woods Estate Block 7 Shiraz 2010 and one for the Estate Cabernet Merlot 2010.Deep Woods won two of only three Gold medals awarded to Western Australian Wines with the Trophy for 'Australian Red Bordeaux Varietal Over £10' going to a Western Australian producer.
Blair Hill, Marketing and Sales manager said; "The result is an absolute confirmation of the quality and consistency of the 2010 reds produced at Deep Woods. These wines have already received three Gold and four Silver medals at major Australian wine shows before being entered in the Decanter Awards. Two of the only three Gold medals awarded to Western Australian wineries are from Deep Woods which is a superb effort. For the Block 7 Shiraz it is a stunning follow on from the success of the 2009 vintage at the 2011 Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Competition late last year where it won two trophies for 'Best Australian Shiraz and Best Shiraz/Syrah'.
Deep Woods Estate Cabernet Merlot 2010Gold - Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2011Gold - Sydney Royal Wine Show 2012Silver - three medals to date
Deep Woods Estate Block 7 Shiraz 2010Gold - Royal Hobart Wine Show 2011Silver - Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2011
The Deep Woods Winemaker, Julian Langworthy said; "We are extremely proud of the wines produced at Deep Woods Estate. It is always satisfying to receive further accolades especially on the world stage. I am extremely confident that the 2010 reds will continue to perform well on the show circuit throughout 2012."
The wines will be released in August 2012.
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Howard Park Scoops Gold at Sydney Royal Wine Show 2012
Howard Park Wines was established in 1986 and is one of the original pioneers of the Great Southern region. With a philosophy to produce wines of distinct regional character. Howard Park has forged an international reputation for their wines and an expanded range including single vineyard and multi regional wines from Margaret River and the Great Southern.
Howard Park's 'Miamup' Sauvignon Blanc Semillon from the new Regional Range has scooped a gold medal at the renowned Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show. The gold medal adds to the growing list of accolades for the 2011 'Miamup' Sauvignon Blanc Semillon that already includes bronze medals from the Perth Royal Wine Show and the Qantas Mount Barker Wine Show.
The Sydney show judges also awarded silver medals to the 2011 Howard Park Sauvignon Blanc and 2009 Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz.
"We are thrilled to have received an accolade for this wine as it reflects the dedication that Howard Park have to making quality wines from both the Margaret River and Great Southern regions. The Regional Range was launched in July 2011 as true expressions of the regions from which they originate so it's very exciting that this new wine has been immediately recognised by its peers," said General Manager, Amy Burch.
"The Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show medals are a great honour and add resonance to Howard Park's philosophy of always providing excellent fruit for premium wines."
Since its inception in 1822, the Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show has been recognised by wine producers and wine consumers as one of the major wine shows in Australia, attracting around 300 exhibitors in 60 different classes.
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Graduation Ceremony Held for First Australian Diploma Graduates
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust is the largest global provider of qualifications in the fields of wines and spirits. WSET qualifications are formally recognised by the UK Government and have a strong reputation worldwide. WSET courses are currently available via over 550 WSET Approved Program Providers in 58 countries and in 15 languages and in the last academic year (2010/11) 35,737 people sat a WSET exam.
The first Australian Diploma Graduated celebrated in Sydney with an outstanding graduation ceremony commemorating the new Level 4 Diploma graduates based in Australia. Ten Diploma graduates and their guests celebrated this milestone at Fix St James restaurant where renowned wines from Fine Wine Partners and Wines of Australia's Landmark Australia range were served. Jude Mullins, the WSET's Business Development Director, Asia Pacific, together with Clive Hartley from the Sydney Wine Academy (part of the Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE) presented each graduate with their diploma.
Graduates were a mix of wine enthusiasts and wine industry professionals, representing the many paths that lead to undertaking the Level 4 Diploma. The diverse group included those who worked in wine importing/distributing, journalism, wine production and wine service/Sommelier/hospitality amongst other industries.
Reflecting back on their experiences, the graduates felt that the Diploma programme was challenging and required a substantial amount of commitment and organisation. However, many noted that it was very beneficial personally and professionally.
Students who are new to the industry and even those who have already started working in wines and spirits cited how the Diploma helped them gain a solid grounding in the field. Salvatore Mergiotta states, "[The Diploma] gave me a degree of knowledge on all aspects of wines and spirits, enabling me to have meaningful conversations with winemakers, sommeliers, wine marketers and sales people." Additionally, the programme helped students become familiar with a wide breadth of international wines, which is important in an increasingly globalised wine industry.
Catherine Woods, who already had 12 years of wine industry experience, said that the Diploma helped to bring her knowledge up to date and give her a firmer grasp of certain topics, such as the international market for wine. She also saw it as a stepping stone for further advancement and would allow her greater flexibility in her future career.
Graduate Sean Welch sums up the spirit of the Diploma programme nicely when he observed, "One thing the course taught me with regards to wines and spirits is that there's always more to learn, and the Diploma has given me the best of foundations from which to continue that life-long education."
The Sydney Wine Academy also recognised the graduate's top performing taster when Joe Turnatouri was awarded the 2012 Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show Associate Judging Award.
For further information including images please contact:
United Kingdom - WSET, Wine & Spirit Education Trust, Marketing Manager - Chris Kelly, International Wines and Spirits Centre, 29-45 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF T: +44 (0)20 7089 3815 E: ckelly@wset.co.uk mailto:ckelly@wset.co.uk
Australia - WSET Ambassador - Rob Hirst, Chairman, Fine Wine Partners, 0416 011838, robert.hirst@finewinepartners.com.au mailto:robert.hirst@finewinepartners.com.au
Australia - Sydney Wine Academy - Clive Hartley, Course Director 02 9 448 6249 clive.hartley@tafensw.edu.au mailto:clive.hartley@tafensw.edu.au
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SAN FRANCISCO GOLD
FOR 2010 SCHILD ESTATE SHIRAZ
The latest vintage of Schild Estate Wines' highly‐regarded entry level Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz has been awarded a Gold Medal at the 2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition. This year was the largest in the prestigious competition's 32‐year history, with more than 4,500 wines judged.
"The US has always been a very important market for Schild Estate Wines," said general manager Casey Mohr. "According to International Wine & Spirit Research (IWSR), the United States became the world's largest still light wine market in 2011."
"We've been working closely with our US sales and marketing representative, Charles Willis, and we're very positive about the progress Schild Estate is making in this challenging - but crucial - region. Shiraz is the core of the Schild Estate range, and we've always been confident that the Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz represents fantastic value for money. This gold medal from such a highly regarded international wine competition validates that belief," said Mohr.
2010 Schild Estate Barossa Shiraz was made to reflect the soft, elegant palate of the southern Barossa Valley, where the fruit is sourced from a number of carefully selected vineyards. Picked during the cool of the night, the fruit is processed in traditional open fermenters before maturation in French and American Oak for 12 months. 22,000 cases of this wine were produced, retailing at US$23 (A$20).
"The ripening conditions in the 2010 season were near perfect, with warm sunny days and relatively cool nights," said winemaker Scott Hazeldine. "This allowed flavours to develop at their own pace and gave us the freedom to select precisely the optimum time to pick. This Shiraz displays the results: a real depth of flavour and elegant balance."
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Estate made and measured
The 2012 Pyrenees vintage is over and the team at Blue Pyrenees Estate can rejoice after many months of hard but satisfying work in the vineyards and winery. With this comes the timely release of the iconic 2008 Blue Pyrenees Estate Red a radical wine that exhibits all of the best characteristics that the estate's terroir has to offer.
Chief winemaker and CEO Andrew Koerner is very impressed with the complexity, concentration and quality of his 2008 flagship wine "The Estate Red is probably the boldest, ballsiest and most concentrated Estate Red we have ever made - and I am very proud to say that every little bit of it is 100% Estate grown and made."
A well-considered and measured blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot & 1% Shiraz - this wine is named after the Estate from which it is made rather than the varietals that comprise it and uses similar blending philosophies to savoury Bordeaux style reds.
A major player in the careful production of this wine is Blue Pyrenees' charismatic viticulturalist, Sean Howe. Sean has the difficult task in sorting through the vineyard sites with a fine-toothed comb to hand pick the parcels of grapes that will go into creating this wine, as each parcel plays an important part in contributing distinctive characteristics to the wine. "We had such a great year in 08 that it was difficult to leave some parcels out of the blend!" says Sean, "In the end we went with the classics, some old vine merlot and cabernet sauvignon from the original plantings were hard to go past, and some of the newer sections planted in 1996 jumped up to the next level and were included…sort of like some radio formats 'hits and classics'.
With a rich complex structure, carefully integrated tannins and a knock-out concentration of flavour, this Estate Red can be enjoyed now or cellared with confidence for 20 years and is best suited to full-flavoured red meat dishes or hard, sharp cheeses with robust flavours.
