BOuiTquE WiNE AWARDS 2011
ceo’s message
The Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers created a national body for the ‘small winemakers’ during 1996. The AABW was launched with the first round of awards and a public wine festival held at the Renaissance Sydney Hotel to a successful reception from winemakers and public alike. Prior to this time the Australian wine shows were not open to small winemakers simply because the rules stated large quantity requirements for entries. The experimenters, the small risk takers with the innovative blends and imported varieties were unable to win the gold, silver or bronze. When the ‘boutique’ wine movement was born this all changed. The little companies in the outback and on the tourist trails started displaying their trophies and medals for the first time because they could enter their wine even if they only had a very small quantity. With a few medals they could convince the city agents to sell their wine and make their efforts known. For the 2000 Boutique Wine Awards, Dan Murphy’s Fine Wines entered the scene with a commercial offer to the winners of the top 18 classes. Today sees many wine companies listed in their fine wines catalogue because of their win resulting in otherwise impossible sales. As part of this arrangement the winner of the Wine of Show receives a 100 dozen purchase which to some has been a life-saving gift. New Zealand boutique winemakers were invited to join our show in 2009 and have successfully taken home a number of trophies and medals in that time. Our Association is all about promoting the wines of excellence as determined by our judging teams. Thanks to the Awards Chairman Huon Hooke the standard of judges and the process of judging is at the highest. Hooke is respected as equal to the best in his field and with that comes respect for our awards. The AABW is proud of its record and its achievements and continues to spread the word Boutique through this show and the marketing of the winning wines throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
Judith Kennedy Founding ceo Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers
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AABW BOuitque WiNe AWArdS 2011