MEDIA RELEASE 22nd August, 2018

Heartbreak grape a winner for Handpicked Wines

The heartbreak grape has delivered a heart-warming result for Handpicked Wines in the 2018 Australian Challenge. Handpicked has won the Challenge with its 2017 Collection Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir.

The Handpicked Collection wine scored 97 points to take out the 2018 Australian Pinot Noir Trophy for best wine of 250 entered from nine premium regions, as well as the trophy for Best Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. Also vying for the top spot was Handpicked’s single vineyard Mornington Peninsula wine, 2017 Capella Vineyard Pinot Noir, which scored 96 points.

Accepting the trophies at the awards dinner in on Saturday, director of winemaking Peter Dillon said it was a highlight for Handpicked Wines and personally gratifying.

“The Australian Pinot Noir Challenge is the biggest collection of pinot noir wines in Australia, it is a prestigious prize and one we are thrilled to win. On a personal level, these trophies mean an immense amount; Pinot Noir is certainly a passion project for me,” Peter said.

Handpicked has invested heavily in the grape, acquiring two premium Pinot Noir vineyards in the past 18 months - one in the Upper and one in the Tamar Valley, Tasmania.

In keeping with the Handpicked philosophy of making classic wines from the world’s best wine regions, the Handpicked Collection portfolio includes Pinot Noir wines from Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Tasmania and Central Otago, and there are plans for an Oregon wine in the coming northern hemisphere vintage.

“It was inspiring to visit Oregon and see the calibre of its vineyards and wineries. The Willamette Valley has some incredible pinot vineyards and we have made valuable partnerships with premium growers there,” Peter said.

Handpicked also has single vineyard Pinot Noir wines from its Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley vineyards – Capella Vineyard in Bittern, Highbow Hill Vineyard in Yarra Glen and Wombat Creek Vineyard at Gladysdale in the Upper Yarra. The 2017 Wombat Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, the only other wine Handpicked entered in the Pinot Challenge, scored a silver medal.

“2017 was our first vintage as owners of Wombat Creek and it was superb, so we are really excited about the potential of this vineyard, which is the highest in the Yarra Valley. We’ve hit the ground running at Wombat Creek and have already invested in retraining of vines and expanding the vineyard.”

Peter paid tribute to Handpicked owner and managing director William Dong, as well as his vineyard and winemaking teams, including assistant winemaker Jonathon Mattick and Capella Vineyard manager Karl Roberts.

“William Dong has provided unwavering support in chasing the dream of making the best wines in Australia and the world. Our hard work and attention to detail is paying off.”

For more information contact:

Website handpickedwines.com.au Queries Imogen Hayes, Marketing Manager, Handpicked Wines [email protected] or 0431 056 936