Awards

In 2005 Dunns Creek Estate entered their 2004 Barbera in the Alternative Varieties Wine Show at Mildura and took out a gold medal.

"That really was the biggest joy," said Roger, "our first show, with our first vintage from new vines.

Hannah elaborates: "I was at a seminar on the Friday afternoon as part of the show. They were to announce the wines the next day and I was getting a bit excited. I saw chief judge Tim White at the seminar and very naively asked ‘do you know the results - Dunns Creek Barbera?'. He said ‘gold'."

"About the same time I got a phone call from Tim asking who we were! There were only about five or six golds for the show from 400 to 500 wines of many alternative varieties," said Roger.

"The floor just fell away - we were so excited. That was just such a high, it was amazing - but it actually didn't sell well! The wine writers loved it too and raved about it - but still it didn't sell."

The judges were impressed with the "suppleness and juiciness of top wines" in the barbera category and said the "top wine was a gorgeous example of what barbera can do".

The Dunns Creek 2005 Barbera won Bronze at the Cool Climate Wine Show at Red Hill in 2006.

Visit the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show website: www.aavws.com