It’s been an exciting week for McWilliam’s Wines, which has taken home awards at the 2024 Japan Wine Challenge and NSW Wine Awards.

Asia’s most prestigious and professional international wine competition, the 2024 Japan Wine Challenge, awarded McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate 10 Year Old Grand Tawny the ‘Best New World Fortified’ trophy and a prestigious platinum medal.

Meanwhile, McWilliam’s Wines NV 20-Year-Old Topaque won the ICC Sydney Trophy for Best Fortified at the 2024 NSW Wine Awards.

For over a century, McWilliam’s Wines has played an integral role in Australia’s winemaking legacy, particularly in the craft of fortified wines. The Hanwood Estate, where vines were first planted in 1913, was the pioneering force in establishing the Riverina wine region.

Calabria triumphs at Japan Wine Challenge

Calabria Family Wine Group, which acquired a piece of Australian wine history with the purchase of McWilliam’s Wines in 2021, was awarded Best Australian Wine of Show at the 2024 Japan Wine Challenge.

Among the 25 trophies awarded at the show, the Calabria family took the trophy for ‘Best New World Dessert Wine’ for their 2023 flagship Calabria Three Bridges Botrytis Semillon, produced in the Riverina region of NSW, renowned for making Botrytis wines. This wine also earned them ‘Best Value Sweet Wine Award’ for wines priced between 2,000 and 2,999 yen (approximately $20 to $30 AUD).

The achievement made it the only Australian wine to receive a platinum medal across all categories, securing its place as the ‘Best Australian Wine of Show’ award.

Rounding out their success, Calabria Family Wine Group’s The Iconic Grand Reserve Shiraz 2018, produced from century-old vines in the renowned Barossa Valley, was awarded a prestigious gold medal.

Calabria Family Wine Group Senior Winemaker Tony Steffania said: “These awards underscore the Riverina region’s long-standing excellence in Fortifieds and Botrytis wines. We are deeply honoured to receive international recognition for our diverse wine portfolio. While we have consistently achieved success at this show, the 2024 Japan Wine Challenge marks our most outstanding results to date at this show.”

All the winners at the NSW Wine Awards