By Amy Looker
Australian wineries have claimed an impressive 67 gold medals at the world’s largest wine competition, the 2010 International Wine Challenge in London, coming in second to France for the highest number of gold medals awarded to one country.
The recipient of last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Peter Lehmann, showed why he was worthy of such an honour, taking home two gold, two silver and five bronze medals.
Clare Valley producers, Taylors Wines, also received a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge for its 2009 Taylors Estate Riesling.
Success continued for Taylors at the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards, where the family-owned winery was one of only two percent of the almost 11,000 wines submitted to receive gold medals for the 2009 Taylors Jaraman Riesling and the 2008 Taylors Jaraman Shiraz.
Taylors Wines managing director, Mitchell Taylor, was in London when the awards were announced as part of Australia’s First Families of Wine initiative.
“I was thrilled to find out we had won three gold medals. It is a real treat to be in the city where the judging took place at the same time that the awards were announced. Awards like these help to reinforce the quality of Australia’s wines and that is the message that we’re here in London to communicate,” said Taylor.
“It is fantastic to see so many Aussie wines do so well at prestigious shows such as these. I am extremely proud to be among them.”