A leisurely drive up Macquarie Pass opens the door on a wine region that is rapidly emerging beyond a best kept Sydney secret.
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Boasting 46 vineyards and growing by the day the cool climate wines paired with a thriving culinary scene is creating the perfect match for Sydneysiders and Illawarra residents looking for a weekend escape to the country.
Such is the Southern Highlands’ reputation as a food and wine destination that along with the flowers of Tulip Time, significant attention is being focused on Bowral and surrounds this week.
In a real coup for the area one of nation’s premier wine awards has seen 16 wine industry experts fly in from around Australia to spend three days judging the best wines in the state for the 23rd NSW Wine Awards.
It is hard to put a dollar amount on the value of the publicity the cool climate wine region will gain after NSW Wine secretary and Southern Highlands Food and Wine Association president Mark Bourne’s success in luring the major industry event to the region.
The NSW Wine Awards are considered so important the winners are announced at NSW Government House in Sydney by the Governor himself on October 19. National media coverage of that event will further add to the Southern Highlands reputation as a wine and food destination.
“NSW is the only state in Australia that has its own wine show. All the other states just have their capital city show which are run by the agricultural societies,” Mr Bourne said.
“This is a vote of confidence in the region and recognises us as one of the significant wine regions in NSW. It has brought a lot of focus and attention on the region this whole week.
This is a vote of confidence in the region and recognises us as one of the significant wine regions in NSW. It has brought a lot of focus and attention on the region
- Mark Bourne
“Five of the judges have flown in from other states. They have been shown around the region.”
The wine makers have been speaking at dinners to provide a good snapshot of what the region is about, where it is going and what it has to offer.
And that message gets taken back to other states.
The awards have been embraced by everyone and attracted a record number of entries from across the state and the region.
2016,17 and 18 are regarded as really good vintages for all wine producers in NSW and winemakers are really keen to get their wines judged against the best..
“There have been some cracking vintages in NSW. And over 900 of the state’s best wines have been vying for top honours this week,” Mr Bourne said.
“We are one of the up and coming wine regions in NSW and the closest to Sydney geographically. We are very heavily populated each weekend.
“And we are one of the few regions where the wine makers and food producers are represented in one group. We are about food and wine and it provides a great experience. Our wine is becoming highly sought after.”
Read more: Master of wine gives verdict on Bowral
In fact the demand is so great there is starting to be a shortage of grapes and that is driving further industry growth.
A pioneering vigneron from nearby temperate wine region Shoalhaven Coast said the NSW Wine Awards being held on the Southern Highlands was a major and well deserved coup.
Coolangatta Estate’s Greg Bishop said he regarded the awards as very significant.
“Along with Sydney Royal Wine Show it is a show that we always like to do well in. There is always good publicity for the winners and the consumers seem to understand the importance of the results.”
Mr Bishop has been making his mark with Semillon and Tannat in recent years and this week really wanted to see how his Semillon compares with the best producers of the variety across the state.
He said he was excited to see what is being achieved this week by Mr Bourne and the winemakers on the Southern Highlands.
Many people will have heard of prolific wine award winners such as Tertini, Centenniral, Cuttaway Hill and Cherry Tree Hill.
But many more Southern Highlands’ wine producers are starting to make it onto wine lists in Sydney restaurants.
Mr Bourne is from Cuttaway Hill which was the first wine maker in the region to win an award at a wine show.
He said after 25 years of steady growth in the quantity and quality of the wine being produced at local vineyards local growers are working out what varieties work best for their climate and soil types. And they have planted accordingly.
“For that reason the region is getting really well known for Pinot. Pinto Gris in the whites and Pinot Noir in the reds are the star performers. I think our region is really starting to find our icon varieties,” he said.
Mr Bourne said Southern Highlands’ grapes were grown at such a high altitude that the region boasted one of the last harvests in Australia every year. “We finish in mid May.”
It is a unique region with its own style and a future that looks very good, according to Mr Bourne.
“There are 46 vineyards here now. And there are 18 cellar doors open every weekend.
“The Southern Highlands is really starting to find its feet and the local varieties it is really strong in. It has its crisp fresh whites, including sparkling wine which is very strong here because of the cold climate for making traditional method sparklings.
“Our Rieslings and Chardonnays are really good as are our Pinot Gris and Pinot Noirs. Growers are really starting to pick and select those special parcels of land to make some very special wines.”
The wine awards were created originally as a learning process for winemakers and growers to compare and learn.
The education process still sees them seeking feedback from judges and other winemakers.
As a result the standard of Australian wine keeps improving.
“We have run a lot of wine shows on the highlands in the past. We are quite capable of handling the mass logistics involved,” Mr Bourne said.
“The interstate judges have been really surprised with what this region has to offer, not just for wine but the beautiful location and the quality food.
“We are being hosted in some very nice places. The judges went to two of the hatted restaurants in the region for dinners during their stays. Some wonderful local produce was served up to us to match some stunning wines.”
The Stone Room, which 16 times hatted chef Richard Kemp opened in Berrima after he sold Eschalot, was one. The other was Bistro Officina in Bowral.
“Our association is quite rare. All the food producers, restaurants and winemakers are in one group. We support each other. The local restaurants have really good lists of local wines which showcase the region.”
The state’s first grape vines were planted by the Governor of NSW at Government House in 1788. In 1828 vines were planted in the Hunter for commercial production.
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