Two drinks producers—Brokenwood Wines and Marionette—are among the six finalists for the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Annual President’s Medal Award.

Melbourne’s Marionette won Champion Liqueur for its Caretaker’s Cottage Black Forest at the 2025 Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show, which made it eligible for the President’s Medal Award.

The brand was launched by four Melbourne hospitality friends— Shaun Byrne, Nick Tesar, Hugh Leech and Lauren Bonkowski (above)—as a response to a gap in the drinks world, offering Australian fruit a starring role in sharp, chef-driven liqueurs.

The judges praised Marionette’s zero-waste approach, composting every citrus peel, juice and pulp, and a collective leadership that mentors emerging distillers.

The Hunter Valley’s Brokenwood Wines won the RAS Annual Prize for Best Current Vintage White for its Brokenwood Wines Tallawanta Vineyard Semillon at the 2025 Sydney Royal Wine Show.

Along with the other finalists, Brokenwood developed strategies that not only deliver results but give back to their community, protect the environment, and drive the entire agricultural industry forward. 

From its 1970s beginnings as a weekend hobby for three Sydney friends, this Hunter Valley original has blossomed into one of Australia’s benchmark wineries, focusing on small-batch vinification and minimal intervention wine making to preserve the natural characteristics of its vineyard sites.

Certified under the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) program, Brokenwood Wines has a strong commitment to regenerative farming and low-impact viticulture. It utilises solar power generation, wastewater collection, lightweight glass and recyclable cartons, while investing in innovations such as advanced fermentation systems to allow for precise temperature management. 

Over the coming months, Marionette and Brokenwood will undergo a rigorous judging process—alongside fellow finalists Mandolé Orchard, Norco Co-Operative Limited, Stockyard Beef and The Yoghurt Shop—which includes a site visit and an in-depth review of their environmental, financial, and social sustainability, as well as their industry impact, succession and governance, and climate and business resilience.

One winner will then be announced as the 19th Annual President’s Medal winner on 25 May 2026.

President of the RAS John Bennett said: “The President’s Medal is a one-of-a-kind award in Australia and signifies the best of the best from all of our Sydney Royal food and beverage competitions held throughout the year.

“It is the only award where you can pit a champion beef product against an almond spread or a liqueur. And it does this by delving deep into a business’s viability; looking beyond the product, which has already been awarded, and assessing the business against criteria that investigate its innovation and its social, environmental, and financial operations.

“The finalists announced today have proven they are running dynamic and successful businesses through their initial applications and interviews, and now our judges will dig even deeper to learn more about each business and what makes it unique.

“I have great admiration for each of the finalists selected and wish them all the very best on this exciting journey.”

The President’s Medal Award was created by the RAS in 2006 to honour producers who embody innovation, responsibility, and long-term vision in Australian agriculture and food production. This comprehensive, future-focused approach makes the President’s Medal one of the most unique and prestigious awards of its kind in Australia.