It’s no secret that current Australian wine consumption trends tend toward the highly drinkable, vibrant, juicy and fresh styles. Slurpable or smashable are commonly used positive descriptions for these kind of wines. And we all love them. So it is no surprise that these are also the wines being highly awarded in wine shows these days.
It would however be a shame to overlook the broodier wines, the wines that take time to evolve and come out of their shell. The wines that benefit from a bit of age, be they white or red. Wines whose makers exercise patience, waiting for the right moment for the wines to come out of the cellar and greet the world. They may not be so-hot-right-now down at your local, but these wines can offer some of the most memorable wine experiences. Worth the wait.
From 2019 the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show will award a new trophy, The Best Museum Wine. To be eligible the wine must be at least four years old – so in 2019 that means the wine must be from 2015 vintage or earlier. It can be any variety or blend and will be judged in its varietal class alongside wines from younger vintages. Chief of Judges Sophie Otton says “Showing a breadth of vintages within a varietal class will keep the judges on their toes. I love the idea of getting an understanding of a variety’s ageing curve, it’s secondary characteristics. It shows the maturity of the Australian alternative variety scene that we now have older wines we can pull from the cellar which can hold their own in a line up with a few years on them.”
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that long-term sponsors of the AAVWS, Riedel, are supporting this new award. The Riedel brand is known for their innovation and evolution as a global glassware leader, designing the perfect instruments for wine enjoyment. Their collection of beautiful and functional decanters highlight the structure and integrity of aged wines, making them the ideal partner for this award. Mark Baulderstone, Managing Director of Riedel Australia, says, “We are thrilled to sponsor The Best Museum Wine at this year’s AAVWS, and cannot wait to find out who the winner is!”
No specific minimum on-hand quantity is required at the time of entering for submitting these Museum wines, although we do like exhibitors to be able to supply wine to showcase trophy winners at the following year’s Long Lunch as per our entry conditions.
