Regional Wineries Put On The Map
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday December 2, 2008
THE Kiama Regional Wine Show has released its 2008-09 Regional Wine Guide featuring wines of the South Coast and Southern Highlands.
The guide provides cellar door details and wine trail maps for all regional wine producers. It also includes results of the 2008 Kiama Regional Wine Show run by the Kiama Show Society.The show was established to support the region's wine industry and to promote regional wine tourism. It also allows winemakers and vignerons to compare their wines to others in the area and is run strictly in accordance with standards established by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology.Medals awarded at the Kiama Show have the same standing as those awarded at national shows.Chairman of judges Keith Tulloch and panel chair Christian Gaffey said they were both encouraged by the high standard of wine produced in the region this year.Mr Gaffey said wines winning silver or gold awards were truly special, because only a very small percentage of all wines worldwide achieved such a status."As an overall indicator of quality, you really want to see more bronze medals across the board, because it means the wines are faultless - showing the expression and hallmarks of the variety," he said.Kiama Regional Wine Show manager and JAi Events director Carole Johnston said readers of the new wine guide were not only encouraged to peruse the new booklets but to take advantage of the information provided and to explore the burgeoning wine industry in the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and South Coast. The guide will help people find where they can taste and buy great wines and where local wines are featured on restaurant menus.The guide can be found at most visitor information centres.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury
