919 Wines last night was awarded the Australian Organic Wine of the Year for its 919 2017 Shiraz by Winestate Magazine in an awards ceremony at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide. 

919 Wines is the smallest winery in the largest wine producing region in Australia, the Riverland of South Australia. 

“This was a totally unexpected award for our brand,” said winemaker and proprietor Eric Semmler. “This award recognises the continued hard work and expertise of the whole team here at 919 Wines. The Riverland continues to produce wines of excellence across all styles, and last night the judges publicly stated that the Riverland is up there with the finest wine producing regions of the world.”

Only certified organic and biodynamic wines were eligible to enter the competition. Certified organic wines have been independently audited to ensure that they are produced in line with internationally recognised standards for farming, wine production, and environmentally sustainable practises. These include soil and water conservation, minimal chemical application and encouraging biodiversity through revegetation projects. There is also a strong ethical and social responsibility element to organic certification.

“The quality of our wines have been a result of an intimate knowledge of our vineyards and the vines and scrupulous attention to detail in the winery. Every vintage throws up different challenges. The 2017 vintage was long and cool, allowing fruit to mature slowly. The resultant wines from this vintage have great texture and flavour development with firm tannins. The Shiraz was up against strong competition, so the win was especially sweet.”