Brian Mullany from Grove Estate said he was was extremely proud to receive the Peter Robertson Trophy for the Shiraz Viognier which is made with the help of Tim Kirk and Bryan Martin at Clonakilla Winery.  

The winning wine was announced by Lester Jesberg, the editor of Winewise magazine and noted as one of the best wine judges in the country.  

Simon Robertson was on hand to present the Peter Robertson Trophy, named in honour of his father - the man who established the Barwang Vineyard in Young in the 1960s. 

The other finalists were Ballinaclash and Moppity Vineyards.  

The last time Grove Estate won this trophy was with their Nebbiolo. They have been producing wine in the Hilltops Region since 1997.

The award was presented at the annual Hilltops Wine Awards luncheon on August 30, attended by 95 guests.

A great range of Hilltops wines which included sparkling, white, rosé, red, sticky and port were up for judging at the Hilltops Wine Of The Year.   

During the presentation Lester Jesberg made a number of suggestions for future Hilltops plantings with strong feelings towards seeing more Italian varietals, both red and white from the region. 

The annual lunch was held at the Ballinaclash Orchard amid a rustic atmosphere of hessian and branches of white and pink blossom, with lovely little touches which included name tags attached to sprigs of blossom. 

The organisers have extended their thanks to Peter and Cath Mullany for all this extra work.