Hilltops wine growers gathered at Ballinaclash Orchard and Cellar Door in Young for their wine awards lunch on Sunday, in what was a perfect spring afternoon.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This annual event has become a celebration of the Hilltops Region which is becoming a first-class destination for people interested in quality local food and wine.
As well as a very supportive local crowd, wine lovers travelled from the Sydney, Canberra and the Wagga regions, to join in this celebration of yet another successful year for Hilltops wines.
Not only were they able to sample several wines available for tasting from Lockwood Vineyards, Grove Estate, Mokhinui, Freemans, Trandari, Chalkers Crossing, Moppity, McWilliams and Ballinaclash, but they also had the opportunity to meet the growers.
The Ballinaclash packing shed was transformed into a rustic Italian style trattoria and guests were treated to a delicious slow grazing platter of Mediterranean delights prepared by Kerrie and Rob Provan of The Pastor’s Pleasures in Harden, which complimented the wines perfectly.
Special guest wine judge, Lester Jesberg, founder of the highly regarded Winewise magazine, commented on the similarities between the atmosphere on Sunday, and his recent experiences of food and wine in Italy!
A huge compliment to what this small Hilltops region can create with its abundance of fine quality food and wines.
The highlight of the afternoon was the announcement of the winner of the Peter Robertson Trophy.
This award was named in honour of the founder of modern day grape growing in the region, who established Barwang.
The Hilltops wine growers were delighted when Jesberg announced that Freemans 2012 Nebbiolo was the winner.
They were honoured to have Annette Hume, daughter of the late Peter Robertson, present the trophy to Xanthe Freeman of Freemans Wines.
Lester Jesberg also awarded gold medals to three other Hilltops wines, a Cabernet from Moppity, a Shiraz from Chalkers Crossing and a 2013 Sommita Nebbiolo from Grove Estate.
This adds to the swag of awards that Hilltops wines are consistently winning, including most recently, trophies to Grove Estate and Moppity.
Two other recognition awards were presented on the day. One to Moppity for success at various wine shows and the other to Trandari Wines for being the most recent vignerons in the region to open a Cellar Door.
The success of events such as this is a result of the hard work, enthusiasm and passion of the local grape growers and their fervent belief in the quality of their produce. This, along with the growing band of supporters from near and far who realise that this region is a food and wine heaven, is driving the growth of the Hilltops Region.
“Thank you to the small band of community-minded people that put the time and effort into organising these events. Although this may seem non-rewarding at times, remember honour and respect are hard to gain, but are the most rewarding qualities to see in any boardroom or community,” president of Hilltops Harvest and co-founder of Grove Estate Brian Mullany said.
