The awards, held at the Crowne Plaza on Thursday night, celebrate the efforts of the smaller wineries and is invariably a hotly contested affair.

Saddlers Creek’s 2009 semillon took out two major awards – it was named best white wine of the show, and also took out the Karl Stockhausen trophy. Stockhausen is a Hunter wine industry legend who nominates his top wine of the show.

Thomas Wines won the award for best red wine of show for its 2013 shiraz.

While they were the two major awards, there were strong showings from a number of other producers.

Hart & Hunter was in the thick of the award action, taking out three gongs for its 2014 shiraz, 2015 semillon and 2014 chardonnay.

Silkman Wines was equally impressive, winning awards with its 2014 chardonnay and and 2013 chardonnay. 

Head judge Keith Tulloch says his judging panel was extremely impressed with the quality of wines, and made particular mention of the stellar 2014 vintage shiraz and the continued resurgence of Hunter chardonnay.

Shiraz 2014  – Hart & Hunter 

Shiraz 2013 – Thomas Wines

Open vintage shiraz – RidgeView 2007

Current vintage Semillon 2015 – Hart & Hunter

Semillon 2014 – Gundog Estate

Chardonnay 2014 – Hart & Hunter

Open Vintage Semillon – McLeish Estate 2013

Shiraz 2014 (grower/producer) - MontValley

Open vintage shiraz (grower/producer) – Mount Broke Wines 2011

Current vintage Semillon 2015 (grower/producer ) – Two Rivers

Semillon 2014 (grower/producer ) - Two Rivers

Chardonnay 2014 (grower/producer ) – Silkman Wines

Open vintage Semillon (grower/producer ) – Saddler’s Creek Wines 2009

Open vintage chardonnay (grower/producer ) – Silkman Wines 2013

Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 – Ernest Hill Wines

Merlot 2014 – Tintilla Estate

Open vintge Cabernet Sauvignon – RidgeView 2007

Open Vintage Red Varietal – Whispering Brook 2014 Touriga Nacional

Sweet White Table Wine – RidgeView Botrytis Semillon 2006