Judge praises winners

By Dion Teasdale
OAKRIDGE Estate and Diamond Valley Wines were the big winners in the 2006 Yarra Valley Wine Show.
Judging for the show took place in Healesville and Lilydale last week and award winners were announced last Friday afternoon at a special lunch at Giant Steps Winery.
Oakridge Estate won Best Cabernet Sauvignon and Best Shiraz for its 2004 releases.
The winery’s 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon also took out the title of Best Red Wine of the show and the title of the Chair’s Best Wine.
Diamond Valley Wines won the award for Best Chardonnay, and the title of Best White Wine of the show for its 2005 Blue Label Chardonnay.
Yering Station continued its winning form, taking out the award for Best Pinot Noir for its 2005 release.
Vanya Cullen, chair of the judging panel – who hails from Cullen Wines in Western Australia – said the standard of wines in competition was impressive.
“The wines have been very even and of very good quality across the board,” she said.
“They reflect the strength of the vineyards, the winemakers and the vintages of the Yarra Valley.”
Ms Cullen said judges tasted more than 360 wines in the two-and-a-half days of judging.
“It was an intense time but the event has been very well organised and the region’s Chardonnays and Shiraz have shown great strength,” she said.
Matt Aldridge, wine show organiser and chief steward said the show, which has run every year since it began in the early 1960s, attracted 364 entries from 69 wineries across the Yarra Valley.
He said 35 per cent of wines presented for the show were under cork, with the other 65 per cent under screw cap.