About the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show
The Australian Cool Climate Wine Show commenced in 1999 and the 2018 show was our 20th Anniversary Show. We are one of the longest running cool climate focused wine shows in Australia. From humble beginnings we have grown to now include many exhibitors from every cool climate wine region in Australia.
Each year our Show Judging Panel is a carefully selected representation of well respected Cool Climate Judges. The show judging panel assesses all 33 classes of wines from Monday to Friday.
While the actual show judging week is not open to the public, we have the ever popular Public Day on the Saturday following the completion of the judging, with public tastings and a Presentation Long Table Luncheon which an increasing number of people enjoy each year. Please see our Events page for more details.
Background
In the 1840s, the first wines of this district were being produced from vines grown on a property called Baltinglass, about two kilometres from Gunning (between Yass and Goulburn).
By 1874 there were 48 acres planted to grapes across 12 vineyards as well as three licensed brandy stills in the Yass area.
By the turn of the century, the wine industry in this region had all but disappeared until 1971 when Dr John Kirk planted vines on the family’s Clonakilla property.
Not long after, three more local vineyards came into being – Doonkuna (now Eden Road), Helm Wines and Broughton Park (now The Murrumbateman Winery).
Why are cool climate wines so special?
In 1999, the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show began its life and was born out of the vision and commitment of a small band of local Murrumbateman region grape growers and winemakers. They envisioned a wine show that was truly dedicated to benchmarking the unique wine styles produced from cool climate wine regions and provides an opportunity for small wineries to benchmark their wines against the best in Australia.
Only wines that are produced from grapes grown in cool climates are eligible to enter the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show. For the purposes of judging, the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show Committee defines a cool climate as one that experiences, on average, less than 1600-day degrees during the growing season.
While the majority of wine grapes in Australia are grown in warmer regions, many of Australia's super-premium, world class wines come from cooler regions. Experts attribute this to the slow ripening and accumulation of flavours promoted by cool conditions prior to harvest.