An overview of the big winners at the 2007 Show and insights from Chairman of Judges, James Halliday.

The 2007 Macquarie Bank Sydney Royal Wine Show, one of the three top Australian wine Shows, featured 2,044 entries, a panel of esteemed judges both national and international and some of the finest wine the industry has to offer.  111 Gold, 205 Silver and 566 Bronze medals were awarded during the event.

Top honours went to the 2004 Eileen Hardy Chardonnay from the Hardy Wine Company.  The Chardonnay was awarded the Macquarie Bank Perpetual Trophy for Best Wine of the Show, the RAS of NSW Chardonnay Annual Trophy and the Albert Chan Memorial Prize for Best White.

Typically Rieslings and Semillons have dominated the White Wine awards in previous years, and so the RAS introduced an award specifically for Chardonnays.  “We introduced the RAS of NSW Chardonnay Annual Trophy to recognise the quality of the Australian Chardonnays and the 2004 Eileen Hardy was well deserving of both this and the Macquarie Bank Perpetual Trophy” said Chairman of Judges, James Halliday. 

Best Red Wine went to Mildara Wines for the 2004 Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz and Best Sparkling White Wine was awarded to the Houghton Wine Company for its 2002 Houghton Pinot Noir Chardonnay.

Best White Wine under $15 a bottle went to the 2005 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Riesling.  Best Shiraz and the Best Wine in Varietal Classes (15 – 24) went to the 2004 Gramp’s Shiraz.

The Hardy Wine Company picked up five out of 33 trophies, while McWilliams Wines, G Gramp & Sons and Thorn-Clarke Wines were each awarded three.