Back (from left to right): Barry & Sofi Kosic and Laurence Tedesco from Elgee Park, Peter Dillon, Handpicked Wines, Dan Prior, Montalto, Luke Lomax, Yabby Lake, and Jamie McCall from Paringa Estate. Front (from left to right): Simon Black from Montalto and Matt Campbell, Crittenden Estate. Image Mornington Peninsula Wine

The 2022 Mornington Peninsula Wine Show might have returned to a more normal format after two years of COVID-19 restrictions, but it delivered exceptional results with an impressive share of awards going to multiple producers located across the Mornington Peninsula.

The biggest surprise was the Best White Varietal or Blend trophy going to a 2022 Riesling wine produced by Elgee Park in Dromana, as well as Paringa Estate winning the trophy for Best Chardonnay for the 2021 The Paringa Chardonnay, rather than the Best Pinot Noir Trophy, which has been more commonplace.

Chief Judge Simon Steele said awards going to multiple producers is a great thing and suggested that different sites and sub-regions have been able to shine with specific varieties or styles.

“We had a great spread of results rather than a few wineries doing a clean sweep, which can often happen at regional shows,” he said.

“It means the Mornington Peninsula Wine Show is inclusive and relevant for all producers, which is what a regional show should be about.”

Steele said that although we often think about Mornington Peninsula as the perfect home for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, consumers should also recognise certain vineyards in the region as world class sites for cool climate Shiraz and other varieties too.

“Mornington Peninsula sparkling and cooler vintage Pinot Gris and even Riesling can be beautifully floral and expressive wines, when sourced from specific sites, carefully selected and crafted by talented producers,” Steele said.

Elgee Park won Best Sparkling Wine as well as the Best White Varietal or Blend, and for the second year in a row, Crittenden Estate won Best Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris.

Yabby Lake also won best Red Varietal or Blend for the second year in a row with the Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Shiraz.

The Chardonnay Provenance Award and Pinot Noir Provenance Award are two of the most prestigious trophies of the show due to the prominence of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as signature varieties of the region.

This year both trophies were awarded to Montalto for their 2015, 2017 and 2021 Montalto Chardonnay wines and the 2012, 2017 and 2021 Montalto Pinot Noir wines.

“The Wines of Provenance classes showcased thought and detail in vineyard and winemaking techniques that were so impressive over time. A credit to the hard-working teams at Montalto,” said Steele.

Handpicked Wines continued its Pinot Noir winning streak after picking up the Best of Region Trophy at the Australian Pinot Noir Challenge in October. They won the Mornington Peninsula Best Pinot Noir Trophy for the 2021 Capella Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir.

The Mornington Peninsula Wine Show Lunch and Trophy Presentation took place today at an icon destination of the region, Merrick’s General Store, and was attended by more than 120 local wine producers.

2022 TROPHY WINNERS

Best Sparkling Wine
2018 Elgee Park Cuvee Brut

Best Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris
2022 Crittenden Peninsula Pinot Gris

Best White Varietal or Blend
2022 Elgee Park Riesling

Best Chardonnay
2021 Paringa Estate ‘The Paringa’ Chardonnay

Best Red Varietal or Blend
2021 Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Shiraz

Best Pinot Noir
2021 Handpicked Wines Capella Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir

Chardonnay Provenance Award
Montalto – 2015, 2017, 2021

Pinot Noir Provenance Award
Montalto – 2012, 2017, 2021

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