The Tri Nations Wine Challenge is an annual wine show event that pits the best of Australian wine vs their equivalent compatriots in South Africa & New Zealand. Given that the wines entered are picked by James Halliday (Aus), Bob Campbell (NZ) & Michael Fridjhon the standard is very high indeed, so I eagerly anticpated tasting the wines.

The tasting/presentation was held last night in Sydney. It was both an excellent tasting – so many highlights, but simultaneously infuriating. Only 1 bottle was provided for each wine which, given that there would have been 100-150+ people present, was just stupid. For the $40 (sold out) admission price that is woefully bad form. Hold the presentation in a hall next time, save x thousand dollars (it was held in the illustrious surrounds of one of the Four Seasons Hotel ballrooms with staff everywhere) and provide even just 2 bottles of the most popular wines. In some classes (Chardonnay, Pinot, Aromatics) there where up to 3/4 of the wines that where hoovered up in the first 45 minutes. I still managed to get through 70 wines (notes to come when I get around to transcribing the scribble) and to tell you the truth, all the really interesting, less mainstream stuff was barely touched.

Anyway, the results are up here: http://www.trinationswine.com/index.htm

As expected, the Aussies & Kiwis shared the spoils, with the Aussies picking up the big gongs (Best Red, Best White, Wine of Show) & the Kiwis dominated the Shiraz category once again. Funnily enough, Australian wines also picked up Best Sauv & Best Pinot to boot….