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The first show was held in 2005 and has since grown steadily seeing an exciting upward trend in the quality of wines being entered and new vineyards coming onto the scene. It as attracted some fine judges who have tasted the best of non-organic wines and are keen to see how organic and biodynamic wines stack up,no leniency is given. Some impressive wines have come to light and Max Allen, Chief Judge, has been pleased to see how reasonably priced these can be compared to conventional wines.
Only fully certified or in-conversion, organic and biodymanic wines can be entered. This means that the whole process, from growing the grapes through to the bottling has been checked and certified by a recognised certifying body in Australia or New Zealand. You can tell if a wine is certified by looking for a certification number and/or logo on the label. A lot of time, energy, expense and passion must go into achieving this status and it is certainly now showing in the quality of the wines coming through. There are many beautiful  stories and amazing people behind these wines and visiting a certified organic or biodynamic vineyard is well worth it.
Show Award
The Best Wine of Show is awarded the beautiful Gil Wahlquist Trophy, designed and carved by Nick Statham, Sam's brother, from a fallen tree. Gil Wahlquist planted the first organic vine in Australia in 1971, which then went on to become the first certified organic vineyard in 1984. Gil retired from wine making in 1996. Gil was a pioneer of organic wine production in Australia and shared his knowledge and passion for the industry with many along the way. Gil was honoured to accept the naming of the Australia / New Zealand Organic Wine Show trophy after himself in recognition of the great contribution he has made to the organic wine industry.
Show Dates
The 2009 show will be held as a closed judging in Sydney on 6 July. A display of all the wines entered can be seen at the Organic Expo, 24-26 July, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne (www.organicexpo.com.au) where some of the vineyards entered into the show will be exhibiting and sampling their wines.
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