A small, family-run vineyard just 30 minutes’ drive from Canberra has taken out five awards in the 2024 Melbourne Royal Awards, including the 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.
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 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.”