After a week of pouring, tasting, spitting, glass washing and polishing the CWS and the ASVWS completed the week with the successful Public Tasting on Saturday night. Close to three hundred people, both local and visiting, tasted over 650 wines and enjoyed the delicious food from the Club Cowra. During the evening live music was supplied by Dom Lenarduzzi and craft beer was available from Bulla Creek Brewery of Young for those looking for a "palate cleanse" during the evening. The Chairman and Committee commented on the interest shown by the patrons in the different varieties and styles which were presented for judging this year. Many new wineries entered wine this year and the quality was outstanding.
15% were awarded gold in the Cowra Wine Show.
Volunteers and sponsors are the backbone of the shows and without them there would be no show. For months the committee has been working to organise the schedule and contacting judges and wineries in can attempt to attract as many entries as possible at a time when the wine industry is experiencing cutbacks and closures of wineries. When the show commences the hard work by the volunteers is amazing as they provide wonderful homemade scones with jam and cream for morning teas, lunches, and afternoon teas for the week. Apart from the food, volunteers pour wine for the blind tasting under the watchful eyes of the Head Stewards on each panel and wash and polish each glass. Each and every volunteer is equally important in providing a professional show for the judges who travelled from South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and NSW to spend the week in Cowra. A particular thank you to Phil Millard who as the Chief Steward oversaw the work before and smooth running of the shows during the week and to Ian Packer and Gary Dick who worked tirelessly with with the wine show software to ensure the results were available at the completion of the shows.
Trophies will be presented to the winning wineries at the presentation dinner on August 9th.
Photos by Tess Roberts.
