McLaren Vale’s Best Wine of Show and ‘Bushing King’ title have been awarded at the 54th annual MGA Insurance McLaren Vale Winemakers Bushing Luncheon held at Serafino Wines.
Stephen Pannell and Fiona Lindquist were crowned 2018 Bushing Monarchs – a fourth title for the winemaking team behind S.C. Pannell Wines.
The 2016 S.C. Pannell Cabernet Malbec was the highest scoring wine of the 2018 Wine Show as judged by a panel of international and Australian judges.
Chair of Judges, David LeMire MW has praised the quality of wines entered into this year’s Show, with “classic” varietals proving a difficult decision to determine front runners.
“With one hundred metres to go, you could have thrown a blanket over the contenders for the Best Wine of Show. The Grenache, the Cabernet, and a delicious blend of Cabernet and Malbec that is becoming recognised as classic, and uniquely an Australian style, were hard to separate, but the Cabernet Malbec just got over the line, by a (fragrant) nose,” said Mr LeMire.
This year’s McLaren Vale Wine Show received 799 entries from 113 exhibitors, with 50 gold medals awarded.
Building on the excitement of McLaren Vale’s nomination as ‘International Wine Region of the Year’ in Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2018 Wine Star Awards, McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association General Manager, Jennifer Lynch considers the annual Wine Show and associated Bushing Luncheon a significant indicator of changing winemaking and culinary trends.
“Food and wine has long been the culinary language of many countries in the world – a reflection of place, people and produce,” said Ms Lynch.
“How food and wine is enjoyed in Australia and internationally is evolving, and McLaren Vale wines are extremely well-placed to evolve with growing and changing tastes of discerning palates. We are a dynamic and multi-dimensional wine region – it is no wonder that McLaren Vale’s international recognition continues to grow.”
The ‘McLaren Vale meets Leigh Street’ medal and trophy tasting event will be held on Friday, November 9 in Adelaide, tickets can be purchased here.
List of trophy winners here.
