Australia’s premier cool climate wine show is being held in Bathurst and will put the country’s best wines to the test in 37 classes next month.

Last year, 802 wines were entered by 151 wine makers across the country, with 341 medals awarded during judging.

Ballinaclash Wines is no stranger to a win at the NCCWS and has previously scored gold for its 2016 Edward Shiraz and 2014 Sub Tuum Shiraz.

In 2018, the NCCWS will celebrate its 20^th year and organiser Michelle Kerr said the milestone show would be bigger than ever with wine entries open until Friday, September 14.

“We’ve got a new venue and our judges are coming from all states of Australia and a judge from New Zealand,” she said.

Ms Kerr said cool climate wines were very on trend and the grapes’ long growing season, in an altitude  of at least 600 metres, resulted in a wine that was delicate, balanced and without too much fruit sweetness or oak maturation.

She said the NCCWS’ relocation from Bathurst Showground to Panthers Bathurst this year would give the judges a climate-controlled environment that would allow for a more accurate assessment of each wine.

Ballinaclash Wines owner Cath Mullany said she would enter her 2017 Thomas Cabernet Sauvignon in the NCCWS.

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“It’s good to put your wine up against other cool climate wines,” she said.

“We generally only show our red wines. Red wines in the Hilltops seem to be the ones that are going ahead in leaps and bounds

“It’s the cool climate, the red granite soil and the continental climate that’s perfect for growing wines.”

Ms Mullany said the Hilltops was a small and emerging wine region and taking parts in events such as the NCCWS help to spread the world about the wines from this area.

The NCCWS runs from October 16-19, with the hugely-popular public tasting event on Friday, October 19 from 6-9pm.

Tickets to the public tasting are $40 each and entry allows people to try all wines entered in the show.