Australia takes second place in International Wine Challenge, demonstrating versatility and verve
Australian wines were awarded 67 Gold, 319 Silver and 359 Bronze medals in the International Wine
Challenge, widely regarded as the world’s most rigorously judged wine competition.
Demonstrating Australia’s strength in both white and red wines, the country as a whole won 35
Golds for its white wines and 32 for its reds. Twenty of the reds went to Shiraz wines and 19 of thewhite Golds went to Chardonnay wines.
Australia’s impressive total puts it in second place in the national table, behind the competition’s topcountry, France.
South Australia confirms place as top wine-producing region
South Australia, the “historic heart of Australian wine”, has confirmed its place as Australia’s topwine-producing region after two weeks of judging at the International Wine Challenge.
South Australia gained nearly half of Australia’s Gold tally – 33 – as well as 202 Silver medals and 238
Bronze medals.
Within the South Australia region, it was the cooler Adelaide Hills that shone, taking ten Gold
medals, with Chardonnay and Riesling dominating the white grapes, and Cabernet Sauvignon andShiraz for red.
Bird in Hand was the region’s top producer, gaining four Gold medals – two from Adelaide Hills andtwo from Mount Lofty, including the Syrah 2017 which scored 96/100 points. The other 96-point
Shiraz in the competition was also from Adelaide Hills – Zonte's Footstep’s Hills Are Alive 2017.
Adelaide Hills’ other Golds went to Penfolds, Longview Vineyard, Hahndorf Hill Winery, Australian
Vintage, and Sidewood Estates.
The Chardonnays proved their worth by bringing home an impressive 97/100 for Penfolds Bin AChardonnay 2017 and Australian Vintage’s McGuigan Shortlist Chardonnay 2015.
Eden Valley gained six Gold medals, going to Wolfblass, Avon Brae, Yalumba, Hill Smith Estate andMcGuigan.
Clare Valley wineries were awarded seven Golds. Wakefield/Taylors Wines won four, with O'Leary
Walker Wines, Jim Barry Wines and Kilikanoon Wines netting the others.
While famed for its Rieslings, Shiraz wines secured three Golds in Clare Valley, and a Shirazdominated blend took another.
Showing Australia’ strength in Shiraz, the purple grape also struck Gold in Coonawarra, typicallyrenowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon – as well as in the maritime precincts of McLaren Vale and thewarm temperate climate of the Barossa Valley.

Regional scorecard
GSB

South Australia

33202238

New South Wales

924

17Victoria

74127

Western Australia

73142

Tasmania

41011

South Eastern Australia 1

512Competition highlights
Australian Vintage, owner of the McGuigan and Tempus Two brands, was the most highly celebrated
Australian producer with eight Gold medals.
Bird in Hand, Hardys, Morris Wines and Wakefield/Taylors Wines gained four Gold medals each,while Wolf Blass and The Yalumba Wine Company were awarded three Gold medals each.
Some of Australia’s Gold-winning Chardonnays•••••

Tolpuddle Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 97/100
Hardys Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2016 96/100
Australian Vintage’s McGuigan Cellar Select Chardonnay 2017 96/100
Penfolds Bin A Chardonnay 2017 97/100
Flametree Wines’ S.R.S. Wallcliffe Chardonnay 2017 95/100

Oz Clarke, IWC co-chair, said: “This year, every time I got a Chardonnay flight to judge, my spirits
soared. I have always loved Chardonnay and have been saddened by how its reputation has been
buffeted and bruised by fashion and fad. Well, this year's results show it is back in all its glory.”th