For the third consecutive year, Rick Lacey from Rhyll-based Purple Hen Wines took home the Best Wine award at the Gippsland Wine Show this month.
Phillip Island Winery and Silverwater Vineyard also featured in the medal tally.
Wineries across Gippsland showcased their wines in the annual 2021 Westpac Gippsland Wine Show with 43 medals, including 11 gold, awarded at the annual celebration held for 110 guests at Cape Paterson on December 8.
Rick Lacey from Purple Hen Wines took home the Best Wine of Show, sponsored by Westpac, this time for the Purple Hen 2022 Off-Dry Riesling, which also won Best Aromatic White Wine (96 points).
Rick also won the trophy and top gold for Best Pinot Noir (96), and won Best Sauvignon Blanc with a silver award (90).
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.
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.
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.
Other winners included Cannibal Creek Vineyard, of Tynong North, Blue Gables Vineyard, while Lightfoot Wines of East Gippsland won the Most Successful Exhibitor trophy, picking up multiple awards.
Ken and Juliet Eckersley from Nicholson River Winery were the first recipients of the Eckersley Award, a perpetual trophy to recognise outstanding contribution to the Gippsland wine sector.
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,” he said, noting the collegiate nature of winemaking in Gippsland 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.
The ceremony at Cape Paterson Surf Lifesaving Club was attended by representatives from all the Gippsland councils, Destination Gippsland, Westpac, wine industry suppliers, and other groups involved in food and drink tourism.
Full details at www.winegippsland.com.