By Wendy Williamson
A red wine from Yarra Valley winery Oakridge Wines has taken top honours at this year’s National Wine Show of Australia Awards.
On Friday November 24 Oakridge Wines’ 2015 Local Vineyard Series Shiraz, Oakridge Vineyard, was awarded Best Shiraz, Best Red Wine and then Champion Wine of Show at the National Wine Show of Australia Awards dinner at the National Arboretum of Canberra.
“It’s fantastic,” said Oakridge Wines chief winemaker David Bicknell.
“Shiraz is the most widely planted variety in the country, so for this wine to be chosen is a real achievement, particularly from a little area like the Yarra Valley.”
The National Wine Show judges and celebrates the best Australian wines. All have qualified and won awards through regional and capital city wine shows across the country.
Having its wine selected as Champion Wine of the Show was yet another industry accolade for Oakridge Wines in what has proved to be a hugely successful year for the local winery.
Among the many industry awards it has collected in recent months are Most Successful Exhibitor Yarra Valley Wine Show and five gold medals at the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards.
David Bicknell, who has the distinction of being named 2017 Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year, commented: “Oakridge has celebrated its best year in wine in its 39-year history. The team is always looking at ways to improve in every aspect of our craft, so it is great to see this attention to detail and creativity reaping the rewards. It’s a very exciting time to be making wine in the Yarra Valley.”
Oakridge Wines is a spectacular spread beside the Maroondah Highway at Coldstream.
Visitors enjoy wine tasting in a stunning architect-designed building, where they can purchase the prize-winning wine and gaze out over the vineyards which produced it.
