Vineyards receive world class awards

Dion Teasdale
THREE Yarra Valley wineries have cemented the region’s reputation as one of the world’s leading wine tourism destinations.
Chateau Yering, Tarrawarra Estate and De Bortoli Winery and Restaurant are three of seven Victorian winners in the 2005 Best of Wine Tourism Awards.
The awards, run by the General Assembly of the Great Wine Capitals, a network of eight global wine capitals including Melbourne, were announced last week.
Chateau Yering won the award for best wine tourism accommodation, Tarrawarra Estate won the award for best wine tourism art and culture attraction and De Bortoli won best winery restaurant.
De Bortoli Winery manager Leanne De Bortoli said she was delighted to see the winery included in the awards for the second year in a row. “The awards recognise the importance of wine tourism and they show that Australia does have world class wine tourism facilities,” she said.
“It is great to be included in the awards for a second year in a row.
“We put as much care into our restaurant as we do into our wines and the award is recognition of this.”
Chateau Yering general manager Sue O’Brien said the awards were a great result for the Yarra Valley.
“It’s fantastic that there are three winners from this region.
“Having three awards in one area means we’ll draw more international attention to the Yarra Valley,” she said.
“This is the first time we’ve entered the awards and we are very pleased to win, particularly when you look at the very high standard in the accommodation category.” Other Victorian wine tourism award winners include two wineries from the Mornington Peninsula wine region, one from Geelong and one from Nagambie Lakes.
The winners will now go on to represent Victoria at the international awards to be held in the Napa Valley in California on 16 November.