THREE unusual wine varieties flew the flag for Rutherglen in the revered Victorian Wines Show.
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Three wineries in the Rutherglen wine district brought home trophies from the Mitchelton Wines event, making it one of the region’s most successful shows.
The awards were for unusual varieties, highlighting Rutherglen’s expertise in developing and refining new varieties.
Rutherglen Estates Arneis 2016 won Best Emerging or Alternative Variety; Anderson Winery Saperavi 2014 claimed Best Other Red Variety and Stanton; and Killeen Wines Classic Muscat won Best Fortified Wine.
Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard was named Most Successful Exhibitor at the show.
Stanton and Killeen Wines spokeswoman Natasha Killeen said the awards augured well for the future of the region.
“Rutherglen may be one of Australia’s oldest wine regions with many multi-generational wineries but I think the three trophies show that our little town has a lot to offer that is new and exciting, especially with varieties like Arneis and Saperavi, as well as a fresh take on fortifieds,” she said.
“We’re particularly excited about Stanton and Killeen’s future.
“We have the best of both worlds, with the time-honoured favourites of chardonnay, shiraz and, of course, muscat but also nine Portuguese varieties coming through the ranks that we’re having a lot of fun with.”
Anderson Winery winemaker Christobelle Anderson welcomed the wine show results.
“I think it is really exciting that Rutherglen took home these trophies,” she said.
“It really shows Rutherglen’s versatility and the adventurous nature of the current generation of winemakers to try new things.
“Rutherglen is not just that old traditional region making port; it is progressive and interesting and making some of the best alternative varietal dry red and white wines in the state.”
Winemakers of Rutherglen executive officer Natalie Ajay welcomed the success, saying visits to wineries had been strong over spring.
“One of the best opportunities to try new Rutherglen wine varieties and see how it matches with food is to attend our Tastes of Rutherglen (March 11-12),” she said.
“More than 100 wines across 19 wineries will be on show with incredible gourmet food experiences.”