Chair of judges for the second year running at the National Wine Show, Matt Harrop, goes to work. Photo: Supplied/National Wine Show.
You might be tempted to pick a pretty label or go by what’s on special when perusing the wine shelves in your local bottle-o.
Some labels show a medal while the best of the best sport a medal from the National Wine Show, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. And it’s putting on a three-day festival to celebrate the occasion!
National Wine Show chair of judges Matt Harrop runs the team which makes the difficult decisions about who gets a medal and, even more importantly, who wins a trophy.
“Wine judging is a fairly standardised process across Australia. We have four teams of three who taste, collaborate and score the wines independently. I come in at the end with a fresh palate and we decide what is awarded a gold, silver or bronze,” he told Region.
“All the wines at the national show have already been awarded silver or gold at a qualifying show, so this is really the champions’ league. We’re tasting the best of the best!”
Matt Harrop leads a team of 12 judges through a rigorous judging process. Photo: Supplied/National Wine Show.
Each judging team tastes no more than 15-20 wines at a time (using the spittoon, of course) to avoid fatiguing taste buds. Each wine is tasted blind so judges only know the varietal (the grapes used) and vintage (the year it was made).
Just shy of 1100 wines entered this year’s awards.
For the second year running, the judging panel has an equal balance of men and women.
Matt says it’s also important the panel consists of a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds, including winemakers from large and small businesses all over Australia as well as wine writers and other experts.
“That diversity has also been reflected in the winning wines,” he says.
“I’m really proud that for the second year in a row it’s not just big companies winning medals and trophies, it’s also tiny family-run operations. It’s really nice for these small guys to have the spotlight put on their brand.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will again present the Prime Minister’s trophy to the top wine in show. Photo: Supplied/National Wine Show.
Winners will be announced at the National Wine Show Dinner, this year held in the Great Hall at Parliament House. It’s an exciting opportunity for this nationally significant wine show to take its place in the centre of the nation’s capital. And more Canberrans and visitors can get involved in the program of events.
As part of the program, Matt will be leading a masterclass in the trophy-winning wines. As participants taste the winners, he’ll talk through the judging process and why these particular wines made the grade.
Wine educator Jenny Pollack will lead an introduction to tasting for those wanting to hone their tastebuds and get to grips with the world of wine. Other masterclasses will focus on Australian sparkling wines, modern varietals, Mediterranean-style wines and more.
Pace yourself at the public tasting: there are more than 1000 wines to try! Photo: Photo: Supplied/National Wine Show.
A highlight of the festival is the National Wine Show Expo where every single bottle entered into competition will be up for tasting at the Hyatt Hotel. Use of spittoons is highly encouraged and we wouldn’t advise trying to taste every single wine. But it’s a brilliant opportunity to taste Australia’s best.
And when you’re next standing at the shelf in your local bottle-o, you might have a better idea of what to buy!
The National Wine Festival will be held from 13 to 15 June at the Hyatt Hotel and other venues around Canberra. Find the full program of events at the National Wine Show website or follow the National Wine Show on Facebook or Instagram.
