IF the recent National Cool Climate Wine Show results are anything to go by, Bathurst vignerons can produce some top drops.
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The show attracted 850 entries from across Australia, including a number from the Central West.
Among the Bathurst wineries to pick up a medal was Bellbrook Friends, who scored champion local wine of show with its 2013 chardonnay. The same vintage also picked up a gold medal in the chardonnay class.
Bellbrook picked up a bronze for its 2013 pinot noir, while Three Views Vineyard and Winery picked up a bronze for the older red category.
Vale Creek Wines’ Tony Hatch was happy with his two medals from the three categories he entered.
“I only put in three wines in and I got two medals,” he said.
Vale Creek’s medals were bronzes for its 2013 pinot grigio and the 2013 barbera.
While not all local vignerons took home a medal, Mr Hatch said they have a lot to be proud of with the vintages they are producing.
“Although they might not have got medals, they were close and a lot were of a good standard,” he said.
“They were encouraging results.”
National Cool Climate Wine Show public relations officer Donald Alexander said this year’s event was a huge success, with a number of great medals.
“There was a good range of wines adn the chief judge said he felt our show held up better than most other shows in Australia in terms of number of wines and quality of entries,” he said.
Mr Alexander said vignerons who pick up a medal should be proud of the achievement.
“It’s a substantial marketing advantage. They pick up a lot of publicity and the merchants can then use it to promote the wines a little more heavily,” he said.
The public tasting on Friday night at the Bathurst Showground pavilion was a highlight of the show, attracting more than 250 people who sampled the gold, silver and bronze medal-winning wines.
“The weather has helped us out as well. The last two years have been cold, and it snowed the year before that,” Mr Alexander said.
“There were no gold medal-winning wines left to pack away on Saturday morning.”