Australian wine is celebrating another strong year at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) after the country’s trophy winners were revealed as well as an impressive tally of medals.
Following two weeks of blind tasting wines from 52 countries, Australia picked up an impressive 769 medals, second only to France in the number of medals for a country.
In total Australia was awarded 73 Gold medals with a fairly even split of 37 Gold-awarded whites and 35 for the reds. It also received 340 Silver medals and 355 Bronze.
Charles Metcalfe, Co-chair at the International Wine Challenge, said: “The Aussies have come up with another brilliant set of results in the IWC 2018.
“The wines get better every year, with new winemakers coming to the fore, and reliable performances from our old favourites. And some of the best Australian wines still manage to keep a lid on prices. Bravo, Australia, for quality and affordability.”
As well as the impressive medal haul, there were five overall and national trophy winners, with a particularly impressive pair of wins for Morris Wines. They picked up the overall Topaque Trophy for the Cellar Reserve Grand Liqueur Topaque, NV, as well as a Champions Trophy for the Old Premium Rare Liqueur Topaque, NV.
Other trophy winners included:
- All Saints Estate Rare Rutherglen Muscat, NV – Rutherglen Muscat Trophy, Victoria Fortified Trophy, Australian Fortified Trophy
- Levantine Hill Estate Syrah, 2015 – Victoria Shiraz Trophy, Australian Shiraz Trophy, Australian Red Trophy
- Penfolds Bin 16A Chardonnay, 2016 – South Australia Chardonnay Trophy, Australian Chardonnay Trophy, Australian White Trophy.
Speaking about the overall performance of Australia, the IWC said: “While Australia still makes plenty of bold Chardonnay along with its classic ripe Shiraz it’s also becoming known for a wider breadth of styles.
“Viognier, for example, is becoming an increasingly popular grape down under, having travelled from its home in the northern Rhône. At IWC 2018 Yalumba enjoyed Gold medal success for this varietal with its Yalumba Y Series Viognier 2017.
“Overall, while the quality of wines coming out of Australia remains on the ascent, many price points retain the accessibility that has become synonymous with Aussie wines.”