SA wines make a splash at China show

South Australian winemakers have taken out top honours at an international wine festival in China.

Eight winemakers from the McLaren Vale region, south of Adelaide, shared 11 prizes in the Changli Wine Festival, which attracted winemakers from France, Italy, Spain, Chile, New Zealand and China, in Hebei province.

The 2012 Geoff Hardy Pertaringa Over the Top Shiraz and 2012 Gemtree 869 Shiraz won gold medals at the show.

Australian wine exports to China have taken a dip in recent years because of an economic slowdown but McLaren Vale winemaker Andrew Wood of Waywood Wines, one of the judges at the show, said Aussie winemakers have enormous potential in China.

"The size of the market and opportunities for McLaren Vale producers are on an unimaginable scale and it can't be underestimated how quickly China continues to grow every week," he said.

"What they have the potential to do in the next five years is staggering and that means huge opportunities for us."

With the local council, the City of Onkaparinga, and the Changli County about to form a sister city relationship, Mr Wood said McLaren Vale's wine is only one aspect of an ongoing tourism focus for McLaren Vale.

McLAREN VALE's CHANGLI WINE FESTIVAL WINNERS:

GOLD MEDAL

2012 Geoff Hardy Pertaringa Over the Top Shiraz

2012 Gemtree 869 Shiraz

OUTSTANDING QUALITY AWARD

2012 Alpha Crucis Shiraz

2012 Rosemount Estate Balmoral Syrah

2012 Haselgrove "Switch" GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre)

2012 Chalk Hill Cabernet

2012 Hugh Hamilton Wines "The Villain" Cabernet

SPECIAL JURY AWARD

2010 Gemtree (Sacredtree) Black Jade Shiraz

VALUE FOR MONEY AWARDS

2013 Rosemount Estate Diamond Estate Shiraz

2011 Dog Day Wines "Rusty Mutt" Shiraz

2013 Hugh Hamilton Goldilocks Moscato

Source: City of Onkaparinga