SA wines make a splash at China show
South Australian winemakers have taken out top honours at an international wine festival in China.
Eight winemakers from the McLaren Vale region, south of Adelaide, shared 11 prizes in the Changli Wine Festival, which attracted winemakers from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, New Zealand and China, in Hebei province.
The 2012 Geoff Hardy Pertaringa Over the Top Shiraz and 2012 Gemtree 869 Shiraz won gold medals at the show.
Australian wine exports to China have taken a dip in recent years because of an economic slowdown but McLaren Vale winemaker Andrew Wood of Waywood Wines, one of the judges at the show, said Aussie winemakers have enormous potential in China.
"The size of the market and opportunities for McLaren Vale producers are on an unimaginable scale and it can't be underestimated how quickly China continues to grow every week," he said.
"What they have the potential to do in the next five years is staggering and that means huge opportunities for us."
With the local council, the City of Onkaparinga, and the Changli County about to form a sister city relationship, Mr Wood said McLaren Vale's wine is only one aspect of an ongoing tourism focus for McLaren Vale.
McLAREN VALE's CHANGLI WINE FESTIVAL WINNERS:
GOLD MEDAL
2012 Geoff Hardy Pertaringa Over the Top Shiraz
2012 Gemtree 869 Shiraz
OUTSTANDING QUALITY AWARD
2012 Alpha Crucis Shiraz
2012 Rosemount Estate Balmoral Syrah
2012 Haselgrove "Switch" GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre)
2012 Chalk Hill Cabernet
2012 Hugh Hamilton Wines "The Villain" Cabernet
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
2010 Gemtree (Sacredtree) Black Jade Shiraz
VALUE FOR MONEY AWARDS
2013 Rosemount Estate Diamond Estate Shiraz
2011 Dog Day Wines "Rusty Mutt" Shiraz
2013 Hugh Hamilton Goldilocks Moscato
Source: City of Onkaparinga
