A small, family-run vineyard in the Yass Valley, NSW has taken out five awards in the 2024 Melbourne Royal Awards – including the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy.
In addition to the show’s top prize, Four Winds Vineyard’s 2023 Shiraz won The Trevor Mast Trophy for Best Shiraz; The Douglas Seabrook Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Wine; and the Best NSW/ACT Shiraz. The Kym Ludvigsen Trophy for Viticultural Excellence took Four Winds Vineyard’s medal tally to five.
The Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy for Best Young Red is regarded as one of the most coveted trophies for Australian winemakers.
Established in 1962, the trophy has been awarded to some of the most recognisable names in the Australian wine industry, including Wolf Blass, Penfolds, Hardy’s, Wynns, Cape Mentelle and Seppelt.
This is the first time Four Winds Vineyard has won this prestigious award, and the first time this trophy has been awarded to a wine produced from a Canberra District vineyard.
Sarah and John Collingwood, who own and manage the vineyard and winery, described the five wins as an incredible honour, particularly given the challenges Canberra District wineries have faced in recent years. The Collingwoods lost their 2020 crop due to bushfire smoke taint, followed by a series of weather events that impacted subsequent vintages.
“To win five awards is just amazing and totally unexpected. We’re delighted,” said Ms Collingwood, who in 2010 took over with her husband the 30-acre Murrumbateman vineyard established by her parents 26 years ago.
“Winning the Jimmy Watson is something we have always aspired to and the other four awards are the icing on the cake.”
Ms Collingwood said the award-winning shiraz held a special place in their hearts.
“The photo on the front of the bottle is of a sheet on the washing line that sits between the Shiraz and Sangiovese blocks at Four Winds Vineyard. Beside the sheet is a pair of children’s trousers. They belong to one of our children, aged one at the time,” she said.
“Our children are now nine and 12, and that label reminds us of how our business and family have grown together.
“That this wine has won so many accolades is a testament to the incredible, ongoing support we have received from our family, team, and community.”
