Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2018 – Trophy Winners

The trophy winning wines of the 2018 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards were announced at the awards dinner at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland last night. The Champion Wine of the Show was the Te Awa ‘Single Estate’ Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016, and the Winemaker of the Year was awarded to Richard Painter of Te Awa Winery in Hawke’s Bay. This is a well-deserve award for Te Awa Winery and Richard Painter, who under the Villa Maria Estates umbrella have taken the wines to higher levels of quality over the last few years. Villa Maria also performed well, taking the Champion Syrah Trophy and the Heritage Rosebowl for the ‘Reserve’ Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot over the 2015, 2010 and 2005 vintages.

The Royal Easter Show Wine Awards is this country’s longest running wine competition. It serves a very important function by its timing at the start of the year, when judging occurs just before vintage. This allows many wines to come together and develop more than if the wines were judged at the latter part of the previous year, when most of the wine shows are held. And commercially, it provides another time and opportunity to promote and sell wines, instead of a crowded time before the holiday season.

Following are the trophy winners of the 2018 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards. For a list of the 71 golds and my analysis, click here. For all of the medal winning wines, visit www.wineshow.co.nz

Guala Closures NZ Champion Wine of the Show:
Te Awa Single Estate Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2016

Guala Closures NZ Trophy for Champion Sauvignon Blanc:
Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Red Badge Security Trophy for Champion Riesling:
Ceres Bannockburn Black Rabbit Riesling 2017

Esvin Wine Resources Trophy for Champion Pinot Gris:
Giesen Estate Pinot Gris 2017

MyFarm Trophy for Champion Gewürztraminer:
Spy Valley Single Estate Gewurztraminer 2016

New World Trophy for Champion Chardonnay:
Te Awa Single Estate Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2016

Glengarry Wines Trophy for Champion Other Varieties
Summerhouse Marlborough Verdelho 2016

Rapid Labels Trophy for Champion Sparkling:
Hawkesbridge Marlborough Méthode Traditionnelle 2014

Drinksbiz Magazine Trophy for Champion Sweet Wine:
Riverby Estate Noble Riesling 2015

Auckland Agricultural & Pastoral Association Trophy for Champion Rosé:
The Ned Pinot Rosé 2017

New Zealand WineGrower Magazine Trophy for Champion Pinot Noir:
Two Degrees Pinot Noir 2016

Generator Rental Services Trophy for Champion Merlot:
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Merlot 2016

Wineworks Trophy for Champion Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends:
Mills Reef Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2016

ASB Showgrounds Trophy for Champion Syrah:
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Syrah 2016

Mainfreight Trophy for Champion Export Wine:
Babich Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2016

Auckland Agricultural & Pastoral Association Heritage Rosebowl
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2005, 2010, 2015

Auckland Agricultural & Pastoral Association Gold Medal for Winemaker of the Year
Richard Painter, Te Awa Winery, Hawkes Bay