Entries open for prestigious 2024 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards
30 Jul 2024 / Wine, Melbourne Royal News
Melbourne Royal is thrilled to announce that entries for the 2024 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards are officially open and close Friday 30 August. Established in 1883, this prestigious event continues to be one of Australia’s most esteemed wine competitions, celebrating over 140 years of excellence in winemaking.
Each year, the Awards attract around 2,500 entries from more than 400 boutique and large-scale wineries across the nation, recognising and rewarding the very best in Australian winemaking while serving as a benchmark of excellence.
The Melbourne Royal Wine Awards offers 32 trophies and gold, silver and bronze winning-medals, with the feature trophies including:
• Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for Best Young Red Wine
• Francois De Castella Trophy for Best Young White Wine
• James Halliday Trophy for Best Pinot Noir
• Trevor Mast Trophy for Best Shiraz
• Dr Tony Jordan Trophy for Best Sparkling
• Bill Chambers Trophy for Best Fortified Wine
Rohan Smith, newly appointed Melbourne Royal Wine Committee Chair and Chief Winemaker at Medhurst Wines is excited about this year’s promise.
“Medal and trophy winners can leverage their hard-earned success by promoting their awarded wines to the world using the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards seal of excellence, highlighting their achievements as well as the outstanding quality of their wines.
“It is an honour to be a part of the Melbourne Royal Wine Committee and to help discover and celebrate the achievements of exceptional people in the wine industry.”
Melanie Chester, respected Chair of Melbourne Royal Wine Judges and Head of Winemaking & Viticulture at Giant Steps, emphasises the high quality of more than 30 judges, and the importance of the Awards in the winemaking community.
"This year’s judging panel features incredible depth and experience which will offer valuable feedback to winemakers and duly award those outstanding varietals. When judging at the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, we look for wines that exhibit balance and complexity.
“The calibre of entries from small to large scale operators we receive each year is a testament to the skill and dedication of Australian winemakers and it's the highest of privileges to taste and evaluate such a diverse range of high-quality wines from across the country."
One recent shining example of the Awards' impact is the story of Lowestoft Estate Wines, a winery that won the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for Best Young Red Wine in 2023.
The crowning jewel of the awards, the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy, which commemorated its 60th year in 2023, was taken out by Tasmania's Lowestoft Estate Wines for their Lowestoft La Maison Pinot Noir, 2022. This milestone marked Lowestoft Estate's maiden Jimmy Watson triumph, making it only the third time a Pinot Noir has clinched this esteemed accolade.
Liam McElhinney, Chief Winemaker at Tasmania’s Lowestoft Estate Wines, expressed his excitement and gratitude of the achievement.
"It’s a bit surreal to be honest, my heart was pumping out of my chest when it was announced, my partner Gemma was beside me and she squeezed my hand with delight.
“What a journey it has been, to win such a prestigious award with a Pinot Noir from Tasmania that is very close to our hearts, it’s phenomenal.
There are so many people behind the scenes that make it all happen, it’s the ultimate team effort when you get to this level, so I was so proud of our team.
The win was a testament to Lowestoft Estate team’s hard work, exhibited through challenging times, transforming adversity into triumphs.
The team will be on cloud nine right now, next week there will be a party… during COVID it galvanised us and brought us together, and this is what happens, tough times create diamonds.
It’s a massive endorsement for this very special vineyard, it’s three hectares in the northern suburbs of Hobart, which by all rights should be sub-division, but Peter Fogarty (Founder & Chairman) and his vision to keep the vineyard going and aim for the stars with Pinot from that site is just awesome.”
Melbourne Royal eagerly anticipates the return of both seasoned and new exhibitors, looking forward to a fantastic display of Australia’s finest wines. The Awards will continue to serve as a benchmark of excellence, providing exhibitors with a prestigious platform to showcase their exceptional wines in 2024.
For more information about the 2024 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, visit: Melbourne Royal Wine Awards