Hunter Valley Boutique Winemakers Show at Maitland Showground shows off excellent local drops

More than 350 exhibits from 44 exhibitors were examined at Maitland Showground on Monday and Tuesday by a panel led by chair of judging Neil McGuigan.

This was the first show since 2019, and Mr McGuigan said the standard of the show this year is excellent.

"I've been doing it for a few years now and I think the quality of the show is getting better and better," he said.

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"It was a very, very strong show. The 2022 semillons, '21 chardonnays were incredibly strong, and the thing the judges were very excited about was the '21 shiraz class was also very good."

Mr McGuigan said the judges were looking for excellence in traditional winemaking as well as in what's new and upcoming.

"It's not just the traditional varieties that do well in the Hunter, namely chardonnay, semillon, shiraz and verdelho, those four varieties go particularly well in the valley but we're also looking for what's new and exciting," he said.

"We found some very good varieties that the winemakers have been working very hard on, some very good vermentinos which are very good, we also found a lovely fiano and a variety called touriga which was made into a lovely, fleshy red wine."

This show is a great chance for local, small winemakers to show the consumer how great their wines are, especially as many don't have the budget to take their wines to international or national shows.

"They need a rally point to show the consumers how good their wines are," Mr McGuigan said.

"That's why boutique wine shows are very important, because it gives them an opportunity to go up against their peers and have a group of judges look at their wines.

"It's about building credibility for the boutique wines and it's about sharing those accolades with the consumers."

Chair of Hunter River Agricultural and Horticultural Association Judy Mead said the show is an opportunity to educate on the finer points of Hunter wines.

"It's for the boutique winemakers of the Hunter, it's about education of associate judges and it's also about promotion of these smaller wineries who don't often have the budget the bigger guys do," she said.

To be eligible to enter, the vineyard the wine had grown in must have had a total yearly production of less than 350 tonnes, and needed to be fermented in a winery with a total crush of less than 350 tonnes.

Winners of the Hunter Valley Boutique Wine Show will be announced at a presentation dinner on Thursday night at Restaurant Baume at Ben Ean, Lindeman's Estate.