
Wine Show
2023 MGA INSURANCE McLAREN VALE WINE SHOW
The McLaren Vale Wine Show seeks to highlight excellence in varietal expression, viticulture, production, provenance and sub-regionality and is open to all current financial members of McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association.
DOWNLOAD ENTRY SCHEDULE
KEY DATES
Date |
Action |
Notes |
Monday 31st July 2023 |
Online Entries OPEN |
- |
Friday 8th September 2023 |
Online Entries CLOSE |
No late entries will be accepted |
Monday 25 September 2023 |
Wine Delivery OPEN |
Serafino, McLaren Vale |
Friday 29 September 2023 |
Wine Delivery CLOSE |
Serafino, McLaren Vale |
Monday 16-Thursday 19 October 2023 |
Judging |
Serafino, McLaren Vale |
Friday 27 October 2023 |
Announcement of results |
|
Monday 30 October 2023 | Exhibitors Tasting | Serafino, McLaren Vale |
Thursday 2 November 2023 | Trade & Consumer Tasting (Trophy & Gold) | Bar Riot, Adelaide |

2022: Please click here to download the 2022 McLaren Vale Wine Show Results.
2021: Please click here to download the 2021 McLaren Vale Wine Show Results.
ABOUT THE MCLAREN VALE WINE SHOW
Every year in October, the great producers of the McLaren Vale wine community prepare their most prized wines for judging at the annual McLaren Vale Wine Show - one of the most significant regional wine shows in Australia. The McLaren Vale Wine Show provides a platform for presenting wines that demonstrate varietal expression, excellence in viticulture and production, as well as provenance and sub-regionality.
The McLaren Vale Wine Show is highly regarded by international and national wine media and trade, and annually attracts a panel of high-calibre wine judges.
In 2014, McLaren Vale became the first regional Australian wine show to introduce a food component into the judging process with the intention to invite the public along to be part of the experience through a series of intimate local wine dinners for epicurean devotees. It also became the first regional wine show to invite Australian ‘Silver Bullets’ to guest judge varieties of particular influence and lead the discussion for the attendees at the dinners. The Consumer Dinner Series inclusion proved to be hugely successful and paved the way for the future trajectory of the event.
HISTORY OF THE BUSHING TRADITION
For half a decade, the McLaren Vale wine community has celebrated, shared and crowned its best through the Bushing tradition.
The tradition brought together three elements - the annual wine exhibition, “the best party ever”, and the desire to present new release wines to trade and the public.
The McLaren Vale wine exhibition, developed from an informal showing of wines initiated in 1965 by the Southern Vales Cooperative, was formalised in 1968 by the newly-formed McLaren Vale Winemakers' Committee. Marking the first competitive wine show outside of Adelaide, thirteen southern wineries took part in the 1968 wine exhibition which saw trophies awarded for the best Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dry White wines. This wine exhibition continued to take place in October each year.
In 1972 local legends Greg Trott, Tony Brooks and fellow members of the Spontaneous Events Society organised an Elizabethan-themed Feast which was deemed “the best party ever”, so good in fact that it was decided that it must be repeated.
Around the same time local winemaker David Hardy began advocating for the formation of a local wine festival with an Elizabethan theme to mark the release of new vintage wines and present these to trade and consumers.
In October 1973 the McLaren Vale Wine Bushing Festival was launched as a week-long celebration, encompassing the wine exhibition and a celebratory feast that continued the Elizabethan theme by crowning the maker of the best wine of the show as the Bushing Monarch.
FROM ADOPTED TRADITIONS TO OUR OWN TRADITIONS
The term “bushing” springs from a medieval European custom of placing a branch or bunch of ivy, sometimes known as a bush, above tavern or alehouse doors as a sign that it sold wine. The branch of ivy could also signal the arrival of new wine and so the tradition was adopted in McLaren Vale, where many of the new whites are released towards the end of the year but with an olive branch rather than a bush of ivy.
During the early days of the Bushing Festival, McLaren Vale winemakers adopted this tradition to mark the release of new vintage wines by hanging olive branches over their cellar doors. Nowadays the tradition continues with olive trees placed (or planted) outside many cellar doors.
The format of the Bushing celebration has evolved over the past 50 years from the inaugural Elizabethan Feast to the much larger Bushing Festival and Parade, encompassing family-fun days, gala dinners, cellar door tours, wine breakfasts and tastings.
Today, each October the McLaren Vale winemaking community still gathers for the celebratory gala lunch to celebrate the best of the region through the awarding of the McLaren Vale Wine Show trophies and crowning of the Bushing Monarchs, marked with charged glasses and the singing of the ‘Wassail’.
The job of each newly crowned Bushing Monarch is to ‘ring in’ the start of the next vintage at the annual Bell Ringing Ceremony held in the February, tolling Wirra Wirra’s Angelus Bell.
YEAR | BUSHING KING | BUSHING QUEEN | PRODUCER | WINE |
2022 | Malcolm & Richard Leask | Hither & Yon | 2021 Hither & Yon Aglianico | |
2021 | Zar Brooks | Elena Brooks | Dandelion Vineyards | Dandelion Vineyards 2020 Lion's Tooth McLaren Vale Shiraz Riesling |
2020 | Tom Harvey | Renae Hirsch | Chalk Hill Wines | Chalk Hill Wines 2019 Alpha Crucis Old Vine Grenache |
2019 | Malcolm & Richard Leask | Hither & Yon | 2018 Hither & Yon Nero D’Avola | |
2018 | Stephen Pannell | Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2016 S.C. Pannell Cabernet Malbec |
2017 | Duncan Kennedy | Elspeth Kay | Kay Brothers | 2016 Kay Brothers Griffon's Key Grenache |
2016 | Stephen Pannell | Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2015 S.C. Pannell Touriga Cabernet Mataro |
2015 | Stephen Pannell | Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2014 S.C. Pannell Grenache Shiraz Touriga |
2014 | Matt Caldersmith and Nic Bowen | Chateau Reynella | 2012 Chateau Reynella Basket Press Shiraz | |
2013 | Matt Koch & Randall Cummins | Rosemount Estate | 2012 Rosemount Estate District Release McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon | |
2012 | Matt Koch & Andrew Locke | Rosemount Estate | 2011 Rosemount Estate Nursery Project Mataro | |
2011 | Stephen Pannell | Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2010 S.C. Pannell Tempranillo Touriga |
2010 | Michael Fragos & Bryn Richards | Chapel Hill | 2008 Chapel Hill Vicar Shiraz | |
2009 | Paul Carpenter | Alix Hardy | Hardy's Wines | 2004 Eileen Hardy Shiraz |
2008 | Brian Light | Rose Kentish | Ulithorne Wines | 2008 Ulithorne Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz |
2007 | Scott Rawlinson | Maria Maglieri | Serafino Wines | 2006 Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon |
2006 | Wayne Thomas | Bev Thomas | Wayne Thomas Wines | 2005 Wayne Thomas Shiraz |
2005 | Benn Riggs | Annie Riggs | Penny's Hill | 2004 Penny's Hill Shiraz |
2004 | Wayne Thomas | Bev Thomas | Wayne Thomas Wines | 2003 Wayne Thomas Petit Verdot |
2003 | Dan Hills & Tony Walker | Fox Creek Wines | 2002 Fox Creek Short Row Shiraz | |
2002 | Sparky Marquis | Sarah Marquis | Shirvington | 2001 Shirvington Cabernet Sauvignon |
2001 | Grant Harrison & Mark Lloyd | Coriole Vineyards | 1999 Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz | |
2000 | Ben Riggs | Annie Riggs | Wirra Wirra Vineyards | 1998 Wirra Wirra "Chook Block" Shiraz |
1999 | Michael Fragos & Justin McNamee | Tatachilla Winery | 1997 Tatachilla Cabernet Sauvignon | |
1998 | Sparky Marquis | Sarah Marquis | Fox Creek Wines | 1997 Fox Creek JSM Shiraz / Cabernet Franc |
1997 | Michael Fragos | Tatachilla Winery | 1996 Tatachilla Chardonnay | |
1996 | Sparky Marquis | Sarah Marquis | Fox Creek Wines | 1994 Fox Creek Shiraz |
1995 | Brian Light | Kay Light | Merrivale Wines | 1994 Brian Light Reserve Shiraz |
1994 | Mike Farmilo | Diane Murphy | Seaview Winery | 1992 Edwards and Chaffey Shiraz |
1993 | Nick Haselgrove | James Haselgrove Wines | 1992 James Haselgrove "Futures" Shiraz | |
1992 | John Loxton | Maria Maglieri | Maglieri Wines | 1990 Maglieri Cabernet Sauvignon |
1991 | Pam Dunsford | Chapel Hill | 1990 Chapel Hill Reserve Shiraz | |
1990 | Chester Osborn | Julie McEwen | d'Arenberg Wines | 1987 d'Arenberg Noble Riesling |
1989 | Brian Light | Kay Light | Normans Wines | 1986 Normans Chais Clarendon Shiraz |
1988 | Bill Hardy | Merrilyn Hardy | Thomas Hardy & Sons | 1975 Harrdy's Vintage Port |
1987 | Walter (Bill) Clappis | Kerry Clappis | Ingoldby Wines | 1985 Ingoldby Cabernet Sauvignon |
1986 | Scott Collett | Anne Tully | Woodstock Winery | 1985 Woodstock Chardonnay |
1985 | Graham Stevens | Marie Stevens | Stevens Cambrai Wines | 1984 McLaren Heights Hermitage |
1984 | Geoff Merrill abdicated Greg Trott (replacement) | Janet Merrill | Chateau Reynella | 1977 Chateau Reynella Vintage Port |
1983 | Peter Dennis | Marg Dennis | Daringa Cellars | 1980 Daringa Cabernet Sauvignon |
1982 | Iain Riggs | Janice Riggs | Hazelmere Estate | 1982 Hazelmere Estate Chardonnay |
1981 | Geoff Merrill | Janet Merrill | Chateau Reynella | [Wine Unknown] |
1980 | Ken Maxwell | Margaret Maxwell | Maxwell Wines | 1980 Maxwell Shiraz |
1979 | Steve Maglieri | Letizia Maglieri | Maglieri Wines | 1979 Maglieri Shiraz |
1978 | Ken Maxwell | Margaret Maxwell | Daringa Cellars | 1978 Maxwell Cabernet Sauvignon |
1977 | Ian Wilson | Joylene Thorpe | Southern Australian Vintners | 1977 Burge & Wilson Cabernet Sauvignon |
1976 | Graham Beenham | Jenny Beenham | Southern Vales Wines | [Wine Unknown] |
1975 | Graham Stevens | Marie Stevens | Coriole Vineyards | 1975 Festival Shiraz |
1974 | Hugh Lloyd | Molly Lloyd | Coriole Vineyards | 1974 Coriole Shiraz |
1973 | David Hardy | Helen Hardy | Thomas Hardy & Sons | [Wine Unknown] |