WINERIES across Gippsland showcased their wines in the annual 2022 Westpac Gippsland Wine Show with 43 medals, including 11 gold, awarded at the annual celebration held for 110 guests at the magnificent Cape Paterson Surf Lifesaving Club last Thursday night, December 8.
For the third consecutive year, Rick Lacey from Rhyll-based Purple Hen Wines took home the ‘Best Wine of Show’, sponsored by Westpac.
This time it was the Purple Hen 2022 Off-Dry Riesling which won the top award also claiming the Best Aromatic White Wine (96 points) award.
He also won the trophy and top gold for Best Pinot Noir (96) and won Best Sauvignon Blanc with a silver award (90).
The awards ceremony was attended by representatives of the Bass Coast Shire, South Gippsland Shire, Cardinia Shire, Baw Baw Shire, Wellington Shire, East Gippsland Shire, Destination Gippsland, Westpac, wine industry suppliers, and other groups involved in food and beverage tourism.
Marcus Satchell and Lisa Sartori’s Inverloch-based Dirty Three Wines also had a successful evening, winning trophies for both the Best Red and White Wines of Provenance and Best Chardonnay, presented by Cr Brett Tessari of Bass Coast Shire.
The Red was awarded to their Dirt 2 Pinot Noir 2016, 2019 and 2021 set, and the best White Wine of Provenance was awarded to their Riesling 2015, 2018, 2022.
Chief Judge, Sarah Fagan of De Bortoli, said that winemakers enter three vintages from a five-year period for this category, which allows judges to look for consistency of quality and longevity of the wines - a longer-term view of the vineyard and winemaker's expertise.
Bass River Winery, Glen Forbes, won Best Rose, and came away with several medals, including gold for its Bass River 1835 - 2021 Pinot Noir (95), silver for the 1835 - 2018 Sparkling Brut (93) and six bronze.
Loch-based Gippsland Wine Company picked up silver for its 2021 Loch Vineyard Chardonnay and bronze for its 2021 Viognier.
Cannibal Creek Vineyard, of Tynong North, won the trophy and gold for Best Sparkling with its 2019 Blanc de Blancs.
In an impressive result for a first vintage, San Remo’s Silverwaters Vineyard, was awarded a pair of silver medals for the 2021 Pinot Noir (90) and the 2021 Chardonnay (90) and bronze for their 2021 Shiraz and 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Phillip Island Winery picked up a bronze medal for the Tall Timber Fume Blanc.
The Most Successful Exhibitor trophy was won by Lightfoot Wines of East Gippsland, who took out the Best Other Red Varieties trophy and gold with their 2021 Pinot Shiraz (95) and gold medals for the 2021 Big Poppa Chardonnay (95) and the 2021 Myrtle Point Pinot Noir (95).
They also won Best Sweet Wine with the NV Darkfoot.
Blue Gables Vineyard won top silver and Best Shiraz with their 2021 Hanratty Hill Shiraz (93), gold for the 2021 Jesse Chardonnay (95) and four bronze medals.
Ken and Juliet Eckersley from Nicholson River Winery were honoured by Wine Gippsand with the launch of the Eckersley Award, a perpetual trophy to recognise outstanding contribution to the Gippsland wine sector, with the couple as its first recipients.
Ken was a founding member of the original Gippsland Grapegrowers and Winemakers Association, nearly 40 years ago.
The group eventually became Wine Gippsland, and Ken has been in committee roles throughout.
Wine Gippsland Chair, Alistair Hicks, said the annual show tasting and awards dinner was an opportunity for Gippsland’s wine producers and supporters to celebrate a successful year of growth.
He said Gippsland wine is enjoying increased momentum, both with a wave of new members, many of them first-generation winemakers, and a raised profile for the region due to Gippsland’s ability to consistently deliver outstanding quality wines.
Marcus Satchell paid tribute to the winemakers who supported him when he began winemaking 18 years ago, and to the example set by elders of the industry.
“Great wine really comes down to people, place and passion,” Marcus said, noting the collegiate nature of winemaking in Gippsland that helps to grow the industry.
In her review of the wines, Ms Fagan said that the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continue to be strong classes for Gippsland, reflected in the number of medals in those classes showing the suitability for these varieties, with flavour characteristics unique to the region.
Full details are available on www.winegippsland.com.