By Andy Young
Cider Australia has officially opened the entries for the 2016 Australian Cider Awards, with more categories than ever before now available.
Entries for the sixth annual Australian Cider Awards will be open until Friday 9 September and 20 categories will be judged before the winners are announced in Melbourne in October.
Chief steward of the awards, Cider Australia’s secretary and head cider maker at Flying Brick Cider, Nyall Condon, said the show presents producers and distributors with the opportunity to showcase their products and have them benchmarked by the finest cider judges in the country.
“We are proud to be leading the charge in cider category development and education through our Awards. This year we have refined the comprehensive style descriptors released last year to ensure our show keeps pace with the rapidly evolving Australian cider market”, said Condon.
“A record twenty categories will be judged in 2016 and this includes the standard cider and perry classes, a number of specialty and intensified/distilled classes and one new addition for 2016, Apple and Pear Blends”, he added.
Entries will be assessed by a world class judging panel comprising chair Gary Baldwin (chief winemaker at Handpicked Wines), UK cider expert Bill Bradshaw, wine and cider journalist Max Allen, Behn Payten (winemaker at Payten & Jones Wines and formerly cidermaker at Napoleone Cider) and Briony Liebich (sensory analyst at Lion).
Winners of the awards will be announced at a gala dinner on the evening of Friday 7 October, with festivities continuing at the annual Australian Cider Festival being held for the first time in Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre Courtyard from 12-7pm on Saturday 8 October.
Entries into the 2016 Australian Cider Awards can be made online via Cider Australia's website.