Windowrie Estate has been recognised among the major local winners at the 2026 Cowra Wine Show, with the Cowra producer taking out the title of Most Successful Local Exhibitor and further recognition at the show's annual presentation dinner.

The awards were presented during a five-course presentation dinner attended by about 140 people, bringing together local wine producers, industry representatives, sponsors and supporters to celebrate the achievements of the 2026 Cowra Wine Show and Australian Single Vineyard Wine Show.

Cowra Wine Show president Ian Packer said the evening was a strong celebration of the region's wine industry, with guests particularly enjoying the dinner format.

“It was very good."

"We got through it okay, and wasn't too many complaints about the sound system,” Mr Packer said.

The dinner featured five courses matched with wines from the shows, with Mr Packer saying the quality of the food and the atmosphere were among the highlights of the evening.

“The food was excellent, it was a five-course meal matched with the wines,” he said.

“There was a lot of camaraderie and people talking to each other.”

Mr Packer said the presentation dinner had continued to prove popular, with around 140 people attending.

“People preferred to go to that than the tasting night,” he said.

“We don't have any trouble getting the 140 people going to it.”

Windowrie Estate was one of the major local success stories of the evening, taking out the Most Successful Local Exhibitor of the Cowra Wine Show, sponsored by the Cowra Vineyard Association.

The Cowra producer also received the Most Successful Local Exhibitor of the Australian Single Vineyard Wine Show, further cementing its success across both competitions.

Mr Packer said Windowrie's performance was a particular highlight for the local industry.

“The interesting thing is the local, the best wine from locally was Windowrie,” he said.

“Windowrie won that in the Cowra Wine Show as well.”

Windowrie's success came alongside a strong showing from De Bortoli Wines, which was named the Most Successful Exhibitor of the Cowra Wine Show.

De Bortoli Wines was also recognised through the broader results from the show, with the winery's wines featuring among the trophy winners across the competition.

The Most Successful Exhibitor of the Australian Single Vineyard Wine Show was Hamelin Bay.

The awards highlighted the strength and diversity of wines entered across the two competitions, with trophies presented across varieties including Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, sweet wines and fortified wines.

One of the major individual honours of the evening was the Travel Award for the Best Single Vineyard Wine of the Show, which was awarded to Berton Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2024.

The award was sponsored anonymously.

The wine was also recognised with the Benedict Cowra Quartz Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Red Wine at the Australian Single Vineyard Wine Show.

Mr Packer highlighted the Travel Award as one of the notable achievements from the evening.

“The trophy for the travel award, an old dry red, went to Berton Reserve,” he said.

The competition's trophy list also included awards recognising viticulturists behind the winning wines.

The Young Eyes Trophy, awarded to the viticulturist of the Best Single Vineyard White Wine, went to Stuart Barkley, while the **Chambers Trophy for the viticulturist of the Best Single Vineyard Red Wine was awarded to Tom Edwards.

Beyond the awards themselves, Mr Packer said the dinner provided an important opportunity for people involved in the region's wine industry to come together.

With the dinner bringing together producers, supporters and guests, the event offered an opportunity to celebrate the work that goes into producing the wines entered into the competitions.

Mr Packer said the evening was characterised by a positive atmosphere, with plenty of conversation and interaction between attendees.

The presentation dinner also provided an opportunity to recognise the work of the sponsors and volunteers who contribute to the annual event.

However, despite the success of the evening, Mr Packer said the broader wine industry was facing a difficult period.

Mr Packer said declining participation and changing drinking habits were creating challenges for wine shows and producers.

“The wine industry is really struggling at the moment,” he said.

“Getting entries is going to be more and more difficult over time.”

The Cowra Wine Show will continue to operate, with Mr Packer saying the committee intends to give the competition another year and assess how the industry progresses.

“We'll give it a go next year and just see how we go,” he said.

The challenges facing the wine industry extend beyond producers and wine shows, with changing consumer habits also having an impact.

Mr Packer said younger Australians were drinking less wine than previous generations, adding another challenge for the industry.

“They're finding young people just don't drink as much as they used to, or varying amounts,” he said.

“It's really having an impact on the wine industry at the moment.”

For regional wine-producing communities such as Cowra, the changing market creates additional pressure at a time when producers are already dealing with broader challenges within the industry.

Mr Packer said local producers would need to continue adapting and rely on ongoing community support.

“Locally, they'll be struggling like everyone else to keep on the straight and narrow,” he said.

“They just have to continue what they're doing now and hope that people support the wine industry.”

While the wine itself remains at the centre of the event, Mr Packer said the Cowra Wine Show would not be possible without the significant contribution of volunteers.

He took the opportunity to acknowledge the people who give their time to organise and operate the annual competition.

“We wouldn't have the show without the volunteers,” Mr Packer said.

“It's quite amazing the amount of volunteers we get to run the show.”

Without that contribution, he said, the cost of staging the event would make it extremely difficult to continue.

Mr Packer estimated the volunteer contribution represented thousands of dollars worth of labour.

“You're talking about thousands and thousands of dollars worth of time,” he said.

The acknowledgement comes as the Cowra Wine Show looks towards its future amid a difficult period for the broader wine industry.