Judging underway for National Cool Climate Wine Show at Bathurst

There were 824 wines entered from all around Australia, including the western ranges, Yarra Valley, the deep south west, and Tasmania. 

Wine judging started yesterday morning when an experienced group swirled, sipped and spit some of Australia’s best wines to determine their worthiness for the show’s medals and trophies.

Tim Knappstein, the chairman of judges at the show, knows exactly what each judge is looking for when they sample the products.

“To win an award it has to have a lot of flavour, but it has to be balanced,” he said.

The flavour must be “rich, harmonious and a representation of the variety it is supposed to be”, he added.

The judges are so experienced in their field that the mere scent of the wine tells them of its quality.

“What they have to do is start with smelling it – that will tell you most of what you need to know about the wine,” Mr Knappstein said. 

The biggest class at this year’s wine show is the white wines, where the chardonnay and sauvignon blanc varieties are the most popular entries. 

All the submissions in the show are vying for trophies in each class, and to be recognised for a gold, silver or bronze medal.

The medals are awarded using a points system, where each wine is rated out of 20.

Three judges sample each wine and provide a score, following which there is a discussion to determine the final score for each entry.

The final results of the judging will be delivered by midday on Friday.

A public wine tasting will be held on Friday from 6pm to 9pm at the showground. Tickets are $35 and can be bought on the night or in advance from the Visitor Information Centre.