Image credit: Ben Macmahon Images
The winners of the 2023 Adelaide Hills Wine Show, sponsored by Harris Real Estate/Taylor Bishop, have been announced at a gala luncheon at Lot 100 in Nairne, where the year’s top wines from the Adelaide Hills Wine Region were celebrated, with this year’s event marking an impressive showcase of diversity, with fifteen unique wines securing trophies in various categories.
However, Sidewood Estate emerged as the star of the show this year, clinching seven trophies across three different wines—a first in the 26-year history of the Show.
Sidewood Estate Team
The Sidewood 2021 Mappinga Chardonnay was a standout, winning Best Wine of the Show, Best White Wine, Best Chardonnay, and Best Single Vineyard Wine. Additional accolades for Sidewood included Best Sparkling Wine for their 2015 Isabella Rosé Sparkling and Best Rosé for the 2023 The Mad Cat Rosé, culminating in their recognition as the Best Producer of the Show >100 tonnes—the same award they took home last year.
Alex Trescowthick, President of Adelaide Hills Wine Region, praised Sidewood Estate’s commitment.
‘Sidewood Estate’s commitment and passion for the Adelaide Hills wine region is indisputable. For the
past 20 years, Owen and Cassandra Inglis have dedicated themselves to outstanding wine quality, and they must be bursting with pride in their achievements. I’d say there will be some big celebrations over in Hahndorf this week.’
Head Judge Sarah Crowe expressed surprise at the dominance of one producer.
“The judging of the wines is all done blind, so none of the judges (including me) know the identity of any of the wines during the judging process’, said Crowe. ‘We are purely assessing each wine on its individual merits and scoring them accordingly.’
Longview Vineyard also impressed, particularly in the red wine categories, securing four trophies, including Best Red Wine of Show, Best Shiraz for its 2022 Macclesfield Syrah, Best Cabernet or Blend for Devil’s Elbow 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Best Gruner Veltliner with their 2023 Macclesfield wine.
‘Regarding the Best Red Wine, the Longview 2022 Macclesfield Syrah had a lovely fruit profile, good volume on the palate, and a wonderful acid line’, said Crowe. ‘There was also a lovely nettle-like grip on the palate that gave the wine an extra element of freshness.’
Boutique winery Mount Lofty Ranges Vineyard was named Best Producer of the Show <100 tonnes, bolstered by their 2023 Home Block Riesling, which won Best Riesling.
A significant milestone was the introduction of a new trophy for Best Gamay, won by Golding Single Vineyard Series 2023 Ombre Gamay. Gamay is a newly emerging varietal star of the Adelaide Hills and
a record number of fourteen Gamay wines were entered into the show this year.
The Adelaide Hills Wine Region President, Alex Trescowthick, commented on this new varietal.
‘There is fantastic potential for the Adelaide Hills wine region to become the leader for Gamay in Australia. The unique red grape variety grows beautifully in our cool climate and produces elegant, medium-bodied wines with finesse and flavour.’
The 2023 Adelaide Hills Wine Show celebrated the region’s exceptional wines, with 627 wines entered, a 3% increase from the previous year. The full list of top trophy winners is as follows:
Top Trophy Winners:
- Best Wine of the Show: Sidewood 2021 Mappinga Chardonnay
- Best White Wine of the Show: Sidewood 2021 Mappinga Chardonnay
- Best Sparkling Wine of the Show: Sidewood 2015 Isabella Rosé Sparkling
- Best Red Wine of the Show: Longview 2022 Macclesfield Syrah
- Best Producer of the Show <100 tonnes: Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard
- Best Producer of the Show >100 tonnes: Sidewood Estate
Trophy Winners by Style/Variety:
- Best Single Vineyard Wine: Sidewood 2021 Mappinga Chardonnay
- Best Chardonnay of the Show: Sidewood 2021 Mappinga Chardonnay
- Best Riesling of the Show: Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard 2023 Home Block Riesling
- Best Sauvignon Blanc of the Show: K1 Wines 2023 Sauvignon Blanc
- Best Pinot Gris/Grigio of the Show: Lloyd Brothers 2023 Pinot Grigio
- Best Grüner Veltliner of the show: Longview Macclesfield 2023 Grüner Veltliner
- Best White Wine in Classes Other: Artwine 2023 The Real Thing Albarino
- Best Rosé of the Show: Sidewood Estate 2023 The Mad Cat Rosé
- Best Pinot Noir of the Show: Shaw + Smith 2022 Pinot Noir
- Best Shiraz of the Show: Longview Macclesfield 2022 Syrah
- Best Cabernet family or Blend of the Show: Longview Devil’s Elbow 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon
- Best Gamay of the Show: Golding Single Vineyard Series 2023 Ombre Gamay
- Best Red Wine in Classes Other: Berrigan Wines 2022 “Shining Rock” Sangiovese
- Best Wine in Museum Classes: Wicks Estate 2013 Pamela Sparkling
- Best Wine of Provenance: The Pawn 2023, 2021, 2015 Grüner Veltliner
The Adelaide Hills Wine Show remains a vital platform for showcasing the excellence and diversity of wines produced in the Adelaide Hills Wine Region. A regional wine competition, the Wine Show exclusively features wines made from grapes grown in the Adelaide Hills. Established in 1997, the show provides a platform to assess the region’s finest wines as judged against their local counterparts.
Red wine trophy winners
Wines are tasted and scored blind by qualified judges, ensuring an unbiased evaluation based solely on the wine’s quality. The process to determine trophy winners involves independent voting by the judges, culminating in a selection of the best wines in each category. The Show, celebrating over two decades of wine excellence, underscores the Adelaide Hills’ stature in the Australian wine industry.
The Adelaide Hills Wine Region, established in 1988, serves as a collective representative for wineries, grape growers, and associated businesses in the area. As a not-for-profit organization, its mission is to advocate for the interests of its members, foster brand equity, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the region’s grape, wine, and tourism sectors. The body actively promotes the Adelaide Hills brand locally, nationally, and internationally. More information about the region and its endeavours can be found at Adelaide Hills Wine Region.
Click here for the full results catalogue.
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