Ferrari, who has worked at Yalumba Wines for more than two decades as their “storyteller”, entertained the crowd at the awards with tales of how she was hired to travel the world spruiking Australian wine.

“As we go through a very wobbly moment in our industry, I am here to tell you that there’s nothing we can’t do with what we’ve got coming out every day from our vineyards and wineries,” she said.

“I had a moment of clarity in the early 2000s when I realised that the winemakers and researchers in our wine industry had done such a good job that good wine was everywhere a great wine was common.

“And the niche I could take was wine with entertainment on the side. It worked for us and it will still work now. People are looking for it. They love it. They love the personal context.”

National Wine Communicators of Australia Executive Chairman, Angus Barnes said the legend award recognised Ferrari’s outstanding contribution to the industry.

“Jane has inspired people about wine both in Australia and around the world and does this with her down to earth brand of wit, humour, and sensitivity. I feel confident that this year’s winner of the Legend of the Vine will be well supported right across the industry,” he said.

Ferrari is the ninth person to be awarded Legend of the Vine status in SA, joining a prestigious national list that includes Peter Hayes, Brian Croser AO, Pam Dunsford, Tony Love, Brian Walsh, d’Arry Osborne, Bill Hardy, and Patrick Iland.

Australia’s top wines

Western Australian winery Evans & Tate took out top honours at the 2023 Royal Adelaide Wine Show on Friday.

Lauded for its stunning depth and length of flavour, their Redbrook Estate Shiraz 2019 was awarded the Max Schubert AM Trophy for Most Outstanding Red in Show.

The win comes on the back of the Margaret River winery being awarded Best Wine in Show at the Sydney Royal Wine Show (Redbrook Estate Chardonnay 2021) and Perth Royal Wine Awards (Redbrook Reserve Chardonnay 2020) earlier this year.

Greg Follet, Chairman of the Wine Committee and past Max Schubert Trophy recipient, said it had been another great year for the Royal Adelaide Wine Show.

“We had more than 2300 wines this year, and our judges have been impressed by the quality and variety of wines in this year’s entries,” Follet said.

“Evans & Tate have had a great couple of years winning big awards for their Chardonnays and Cabernet, and winning one of the country’s leading red wine awards is another feather in their cap.”

A neighbouring Margaret River winery, Stella Bella Wines, took home the George Fairbrother Memorial Trophy for best White Wine in Show for their Luminosa Chardonnay 2022.

Hunter Valley’s Brokenwood Wines was awarded The Gramp Hardy Hill Smith Prize for the best National Wine of Provenance for their Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay 2012, 2016, 2022, with head winemaker Stuart Hordern awarded the F Miller & Co Prize.

SA wines were limited to winning the Governor’s Trophies.

Best South Australian Red went to Jim Barry Wines for its Barry and Sons Cabernet 2021, while Penfolds won the Best South Australian White for its Penfolds Cellar Reserve Polish Hill River Riesling 2023.

Both these wines will now be exclusively served to guests at Government House for the next 12 months.

“We have had a great range of wines win this award in the past and it is great to see some of South Australia’s established wine labels like Jim Barry and Penfolds continue to enter and win awards like this,” Follet said.

“Our state Governors have been a huge supporter of the Wine Show over the years and having the additional benefit of being served in Government House is a great privilege.”

For the second year, the Royal Australian Spirit Awards were incorporated into the show, with the TAFE SA Trophy for Champion Spirit in Show awarded to St Agnes Distiller in Renmark for their St Agnes XO, Distilled.

The spirit awards judged distillers from across Australia and New Zealand in 20 individual classes.

The winners:

The Max Schubert AM Trophy

MOST OUTSTANDING RED WINE IN SHOW

Evans & Tate Redbrook Estate Shiraz 2019

The George Fairbrother Memorial Trophy

MOST OUTSTANDING WHITE WINE IN SHOW

Stella Bella Wines Luminosa Chardonnay 2022

The Governor’s Trophy

BEST SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WHITE WINE IN SHOW

Penfolds Wines Pty Ltd Penfolds Cellar Reserve Polish Hill River Riesling 2023

The Governor’s Trophy

BEST SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RED WINE IN SHOW

Jim Barry Wines Barry and Sons Cabernet 2021

The Gramp, Hardy, Hill-Smith Prize

NATIONAL WINE OF PROVENANCE

Brokenwood Wines Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay 2012, 2016, 2022

The F. Miller & Co. Prize

WINEMAKER OF THE NATIONAL WINE OF PROVENANCE

Stuart Hordern

The TAFE SA Trophy

CHAMPION SPIRIT OF SHOW

St Agnes Distiller St Agnes XO, Distilled

Wine Categories

The Affinity Labs Trophy

BEST RIESLING IN SHOW

Penfolds Wines Pty Ltd., Penfolds Cellar Reserve Polish Hill River Riesling 2023

The Seguin Moreau Trophy

BEST CHARDONNAY IN SHOW

Stella Bella Wines, Luminosa Chardonnay 2022

The Finlaysons Trophy

BEST SEMILLON IN SHOW

Brokenwood Wines, ILR Reserve Semillon 2017

The BDO Trophy

BEST DRY WHITE BLEND IN SHOW

Deep Woods Estate, Deep Woods Ivory Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2023

The Arkaba Cellars Trophy

BEST SAUVIGNON BLANC IN SHOW

Grant Burge Wines, Grant Burge Pearl Sauvignon Blanc 2023

The Programmed Property Services Trophy

BEST OTHER VARIETAL WHITE IN SHOW

Zerella Wines, Zerella Wines La Gita 2023

The Braud Australia Trophy

BEST SWEET WHITE TABLE WINE IN SHOW

De Bortoli Wines, Noble One 2021

The Piper Alderman Trophy

BEST ROSE IN SHOW

Seppeltsfield Wines Pty Ltd, Barossa Grenache Rose 2023

The Hurtle and Norman Walker Trophy

BEST SPARKLING WINE IN SHOW

Printhie Wines, Swift 2015 Vintage 2015

The Lallemand Australia Trophy

BEST PINOT NOIR IN SHOW

Lowestoft Estate Tasmania, Lowestoft La Maison Pinot Noir2022

The Tilbrook Rasheed Trophy

BEST GRENACHE IN SHOW

Kilikanoon, Prodigal Grenache 2021

The Radoux Australia Trophy

BEST OTHER RED BLEND IN SHOW

Yarra Yering, Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 3 2021

The Wine Communicators Of Australia, SA Chapter Trophy

BEST SHIRAZ IN SHOW

Evans & Tate, Redbrook Estate Shiraz 2019

The Professor AJ Perkins Trophy

BEST CABERNET SAUVIGNON IN SHOW

Jim Barry Wines, Barry and Sons Cabernet 2021

The Karl Seppelt AO Trophy

BEST OTHER VARIETAL RED IN SHOW

Bleasdale Vineyards, Bleasdale Tempranillo 2022

The Orora Closures Trophy

BEST SHIRAZ 2020 VINTAGE AND OLDER

Evans & Tate, Redbrook Estate Shiraz 2019

The Doreau Australia Trophy

BEST SHIRAZ 2021 VINTAGE AND YOUNGER

Chaffey Bros. Wine Co, Omnia Nova Syrah 2022

The Dr Ray Beckwith OAM Memorial Trophy

BEST TRADITIONAL AUSTRALIAN RED BLEND IN SHOW

Wolf Blass Wines Pty Ltd, Wolf Blass Aldi Shiraz Cabernet 2022

The John Fornachon Memorial Trophy

BEST APERA, TOPAQUE, MUSCAT OR SWEET WHITE IN SHOW

Casella Family Brands, Morris Wines Old Premium Rare Muscat 20 years

The InDaily Trophy

BEST AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE, TAWNY OR RUBY IN SHOW

Seppeltsfield Wines Pty Ltd Para Rare Tawny, Blend

The MemLo Trophy

Best Reduced Alcohol Wine in Show

Not awarded

Spirits

The Quest King William South Trophy Champion Vodka

White Light Beverages, White Light Vodka Original, Distilled

The Show Society Foundation Trophy Champion Rum

Mad Monkey Distillery Pure Single Rum – Ex Tawny Cask, Distilled

The Cospak Trophy Champion Other Spirit

Tiny Friday Social Tiny Friday Pisco, Distilled

The R.G (Bob) Hardy Trophy Champion Brandy

St Agnes Distillery St Agnes XO, Distilled

The Bitani Australia Trophy Champion Whisky

Tin Shed Distilling Iniquity Single Malt Whisky Silver Label Batch 23, Distilled, 2-5 Years Old

The Multi-colour Corporation Trophy Champion Gin

Prohibition Liquor Co. Prohibition Liquor Co. Juniperus Gin, Distilled

The Tarac Technologies Trophy Champion Small Batch

Webb Spirit Co. Original Australian Dry Gin, Distilled