Reduction of the held finished bottled stock requirement

Having considered the impact of smaller yields in more recent years and with a view to making the Awards more inclusive, the most significant change to this year’s program is the reduction in the requirement for held finished commercially packaged stock from 250 dozen to 100 dozen (or equivalent volume) for all trophies except for “The Jimmy” and the François De Castella Trophy for Best Young White Wine where 150 dozen (or equivalent volume) is required to be held.

Relaxation of vessel requirements

In other changes, Melbourne Royal will be the first capital city wine show to accept wines in vessels other than 750mL bottles, including wine in cans, pouches, boxes and PET bottles. This initiative is in keeping with emerging industry trends of using more sustainable and consumer-friendly packaging.

New Single Varietal Red and Single Varietal White Classes

To acknowledge the growth in entries in the Single Varietal White and Single Varietal Red categories, the Awards have introduced classes for the following grape varieties: Fiano, Grüner Veltliner, Montepulciano, Malbec, Nero d'Avola, and Sangiovese.

New class naming structure

To overcome having to change the class numbering when a new class is introduced, the Awards will transition to a new alphanumeric class naming structure which is consistent with some of our other Award programs.

New Trophy Presentation Format

This year, the Trophy Presentation will be a lunch held on Friday 3 November in the Victoria Pavilion at Melbourne Showgrounds following the Exhibitor & Trade Tasting. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of this year’s award-winning wines as the trophy winners are announced.

Enhanced entry portal functionality

This year, Melbourne Royal has implemented a number of refinements and enhancements to the online entry portal. These changes have been made to deliver a more seamless, user-friendly experience, ensuring your entry process runs as smoothly as possible.