If you are a winemaker and you have bottled a pinot noir that you think is a winning drop, make sure you enter it in the Royal Queensland Wine Awards at the Ekka this year because now there’s a cash prize to go with the glory of being the winner.
The winemaker whose wine takes out the title of the Dr Bill Ryan Best Pinot Noir of Show will receive a $5000 prize, to be used on wine or travel.
Entries must be in by Friday, 2 June.
The award – and now the prize – was introduced by brothers Andrew and Michael Ryan to honour their late father who was involved with the RQWA for more than 20 years, serving nearly 15 years as the chairman of the competition.
Michael Ryan said his father had been the creator behind Ryan’s Daughter, an award-winning Granite Belt pinot noir.
Dr Ryan, a leading Queensland orthopaedic surgeon and co-funder of the winery Summit Estate Wines on the Granite Belt, had a love for pinot noir and had made regular visits to its homeland, Burgundy, in France.
“Dad was passionate not only about wine but also wine education,” said Michael.
“It gave him true enjoyment to be able to see people appreciate wine at every level and I know our father would have been honoured to be remembered and represented by this trophy and the furthering of the winner’s wine education.“
The RQWA is the first capital city wine show held in Australia each year and the first to judge the new season’s vintage.
The competition also offers a $12,000 fellowship for the wine that is judged Australia’s best, with the funds to be used by the winemaker for education, travel and training.
That brings the prize pool at the Royal Queensland Wine Awards to nearly $20,000 – a very good reason to make sure you get your entry sorted soon.
Judging will take place on 3 July and the winners will be announced on 14 July.
