Gold for wineries

By Dion Teasdale
TWO Yarra Valley wineries have been awarded gold medals in the Golden Platypus wine awards.
The awards, staged at the Healesville Wine Centre over two weekends last month, celebrated the best boutique chardonnay from across the Yarra Valley.
Evelyn County Estate, of Kangaroo Ground won the award for Best Yarra Valley Chardonnay, with Yileena Park from Yarra Glen coming a close second.
Both wineries won gold medals for their entries, beating 17 other entries for the top prizes.
Chief wine judge Rob Dolan, from Sticks winery in Yarra Glen, said the 19 wines entered in the awards were all well made and exhibited few faults.
“These were a diverse group of wine styles, from lighter fresh fruit-driven to fuller more complex savoury styles,” he said.
“Two wines stood out as very well-made, complex, balanced oak styles from an excellent 2004 vintage.”
Healesville Wine Centre representative, Roger Hocking, said the awards were a great way to promote boutique Yarra Valley wineries.
He said Healesville Wine Centre had plans to conduct a red wine challenge for local wineries in the middle of this year.