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The Land Showgirl Competition
  1. Royal Agricultural Society of NSW
  2. Sydney Royal Competitions
  3. Competitions
  4. The Land Showgirl Competition

The Land Showgirl Competition

The Competition aims to find a young female Ambassador for rural NSW and the agricultural show movement. The winning Showgirl of each local Show Society is selected by a panel of three judges and remains Showgirl until the next year’s Show. Her role involves many official and informal duties locally, nationally and overseas, such as opening a Show, public speaking throughout the year and presenting prizes for winners in agricultural events.

The Competition aims to find a young female Ambassador for rural NSW and the agricultural show movement. The winning Showgirl of each local Show Society is selected by a panel of three judges and remains Showgirl until the next year’s Show.  Her role involves many official and informal duties locally, nationally and overseas, such as opening a Show, public speaking throughout the year and presenting prizes for winners in agricultural events. The Showgirl Competition is definitely not a beauty pageant.  Entrants must have a genuine interest in, and knowledge of, rural NSW. The Competition encourages the participation and awareness of issues faced by women in rural NSW. Contestants are judged on personality, confidence, ambition and life goals, general knowledge, rural knowledge, presentation and speech.  Finalists must also demonstrate knowledge of their local community and current affairs.  In addition to their potential ambassadorial qualities, contestants are also judged on their involvement in and experience of rural affairs. Today, contestants continue to be young rural women with purpose and ambition and the Competition plays a significant role in the overall development of rural youth, attracting strong support from entrants, sponsors and organisers. 2012 marked the 50 th  Anniversary of The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition. Over 500 young women enter the Competition annually throughout NSW, with competitions run by around 120 Show Societies. All Showgirl State Finalists, past and present, were honoured at a cocktail function during the 2012 Sydney Royal Easter Show.

From the Bush Telegraph

From the Bush Telegraph

11 treats for Father’s Day

11 treats for Father’s Day

Spoil dad with these scrumdiddlyumptious selections from the 2016 Sydney Royal Wine, Dairy and Fine Food Shows.   BEER Gold American Pale Ale www.napoleonebrewers.com.au Napoleone Brewers, Coldstream NSW 3770   Gold Silent Knight Porter www.mobrewing.com.au Modus Operandi Brewing, Mona Vale 2567   Champion Lovedale Lager www.sydneybrewery.com Sydney Brewery, Lovedale NSW 2325   WINE Trophy 2014 Second Innings Malbec www.bleasdale.com.au Blesadale Vineyards, Langhorne Creek SA 5255   Trophy 2014 CCS Shiraz www.chalkerscrossing.com.au Chalkers Crossing, Young NSW 2594   CHEESE Gold Heritage Vintage www.begacheese.com.au Bega Cheese, Bega NSW 2550   BACON Gold Canadian Style Maple Bacon www.germanbutchery.com.au German Butchery, Mona Vale NSW 2103   LAMB Champion Grass Fed Lamb www.millyhill.com.au Milly Hill Lamb Pty Ltd, Armidale NSW 2350   BEEF Champion Grass Fed Beef www.bindareebeef.com.au Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd, Sydney NSW 2000   OLIVE OIL Champion Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil www.cobramestate.com.au Cobram Estate, Lara VIC 3212   COFFEE Best in Show Kenya www.mycuppa.com.au Carlini Coffee Company, Ashburton VIC 3147

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Peter Lehmann Wines, striving for success through Sydney Royal benchmarks

Peter Lehmann Wines, striving for success through Sydney Royal benchmarks

(Image above features Ian Hongell, Chief Winemaker, Peter Kelly, Senior Winemaker and Tim Dolan, Winemaker) The story of Peter Lehmann Wines is of one heroism and chivalry in the wine industry. It harks back to 1978, when the owners of the Saltram winery instructed their senior winemaker Peter Leon Lehmann not to purchase fruit from the Barossa growers he'd always depended on and they him. The challenge was consumers had discovered fruity whites, leaving traditional-style red wine grapes rather out of favour. Instead of reneging on his word, however, Peter Lehmann agreed to process the grower's grapes as a risky side project, naming this project label Masterson after high-rolling gambler, Sky Masterson of Broadway's Guys and Dolls . Within a year Saltram was sold, leaving those persevering grape growers in an even more desperate situation. Lehmann, ever the honourable man, promptly resigned from Saltram and committed himself to setting up a winery for these growers. Over the following years Masterson grew into Peter Lehmann Wines, and even now, 30 years later, the business ethos is about respect and collaboration, utilising over 140 grape growers. The success of Peter Lehmann Wines over the years has been reflected in their impressive wine show record, the winery picking up accolades from all around the world - including International Winemaker of the Year in 2003 and 2006. More recently, they've enjoyed success at the Sydney Royal Wine Show. In 2011 alone the winery took home three trophies, with the 2005 Margaret Barossa Semillon usurping a crowd of Hunter whites to win the coveted Trophy for Best Semillon. The winery then followed up with another trophy in 2012, and then three more in 2013. According to winemaker Tim Dolan, the secret to Peter Lehmann Wines' impressive Sydney Royal success is about consistency, backed by a continual strive for perfection. "We are always looking for ways to make better wine. To never rest on our laurels," Tim says. "This begins in the vineyard with our viticulturist constantly liaising with our growers on how to grow the best fruit so that we can reach the desired level of quality and consistency in the winery." Tim believes the real value of entering wines in the Sydney Royal Wine Show is that it works as a benchmarking exercise, allowing the winery to see how their wines perform on a national stage. "The Sydney Royal Wine Show acts as a fantastic reference point to see where we sit amongst our peers, (helping) to keep our finger on the pulse," he explains. The rewards for a bag of trophies go beyond the shiny stickers on the label too. "It's a major morale booster," Tim says. "If we win a trophy it means that all the hard work has paid off, from the effort the growers, the cellarhands, laboratory and winemaking team have put in." For Tim and the rest of the hardworking production staff, the best part about show success is not at the presentation dinner; it's back at the winery afterwards. "It's worth a barbeque and a few beers to celebrate."

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Brendan Carter, 2013 Sydney Royal Wine Scholarship recipient

Brendan Carter, 2013 Sydney Royal Wine Scholarship recipient

It was the French who really got Brendan Carter into the wine industry. Holidaying around Europe after finishing high-school, Brendan decided, largely on a whim, to ‘do the loop’ of a few wine regions ticking Bordeaux, Loire, Cognac, Provence, Burgundy and more off his list. Finally he landed in Champagne and didn’t want to leave. “I was genuinely inspired by the folks (there),” Brendan recalls. After a few months he found himself at Veuve Clicquot, with winemaker Francois Hautekeur quickly convincing Brendan to study oenology. Fast forward to late 2012 and Brendan’s Adelaide University winemaking lecturer mentioned the Sydney Royal Wine Scholarship. “At that stage I was still quite unsure of myself, and what I wanted to do in the wine industry - be that working on the consumer side or on the production side,” Brendan says. “When the scholarship was mentioned, it seemed like a great way to find out what happens when these worlds collide.” It was Brendan’s eager attitude and enthusiasm that caught the judges’ attention and why he was ultimately chosen as the inaugural winner of the Sydney Royal Wine Scholarship. While the cash prize was welcome, the more useful side of the scholarship was something more unexpected – the business connections. “The scholarship gave me introductions to those with the skills and integrity to be a wine show judge - most often, these are senior people in our industry with a wealth of knowledge and experience,” he said. “They’ve fast-become good friends, suppliers and even customers of ours. I didn’t realise how important that would be at the time.” Indeed the scholarship kick-started a massive few years for Brendan, who graduated with a Bachelor of Viticulture & Oenology in 2014 and already had a wine business – Unico Zelo – in the works. This label, run with his winemaking wife Laura (they met at university), has been a runaway success, to the point where the pair were crowned ‘People’s Choice’ at the 2015 Young Guns of Wine Awards. And if that wasn’t enough, Brendan now has three other projects in the mix. Applewood Distillery, in which he is now crafting two homegrown alternatives to Aperol and Campari produced from native Australian botanicals; A sustainability program called ‘Harvest Wine’, where half the profits from wine labels are given straight back to struggling growers, and a new perfume brand called Nomad. The challenge that Brendan now faces is achieving so much so quickly, some conservative people in the industry believe he lacks credibility. The scholarship has been useful here too. “Knowledge and experience earns respect in my opinion. Being involved in the scholarship gave me a steep learning curve that may not have happened until I was well into my 40s! A fair few people have witnessed our involvement in the wider industry since, and in that sense, it’s certainly been helpful.” Visit unicozelo.com.au to find out more about Unico Zelo and Brendan and Laura’s initiatives.

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Top 10 Rosés for Spring

Top 10 Rosés for Spring

Spring has officially sprung! It's the perfect time to try our top 10 medal winning Rosés from this year's 2016 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show! 1. 2016, Shingleback, Haycutters Salmon Rosé SA , McLaren Vale, Trophy 96.00 points 2. 2016, St Hallett Wines Barossa Rosé , SA Barossa, Gold 96 points 3. 2016, Bunnamagoo Estate Wines Rosé , NSW Mudgee, Silver 91 points 4. 2016, Shingleback Red Knot Rosé, SA McLaren Vale, Silver 92 points 5. 2016, Bird in Hand Winery Pinot Rosé , SA Adelaide Hills, Silver 90 points 6. 2016, Deep Woods Estate Harmony Rosé , WA Margaret River, Bronze 89 points 7. 2015, Hahndorf Hill Winery Rosé , SA Adelaide Hills, Bronze 89 points 8. 2015, The Collective Wine Company, It's pronounced Mudgee Rosé , NSW Mudgee Bronze 88 points 9. 2016, Angove Family Winemakers Nine Vines Rosé , SA Riverland, Bronze 88 points 10. 2016, Tulloch Wines Cellar Door Release Rosé , NSW Orange, Bronze, 87 points

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10 Royal to Rio champions to celebrate this Olympics

10 Royal to Rio champions to celebrate this Olympics

Invite your friends over, pop on some green and gold and cheer on our athletes! Stave off those late nights and early mornings by fuelling up with these gold medal delights from the Sydney Royal Wine, Dairy and Fine Food Shows. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!    BEER Champion Matilda Bay Redback Original www.cascadebreweryco.com.au Bottled Beer CUB Cascade Brewery Co Pty Ltd, Hobart, TAS   BISCUIT Gold Lavoshthins Caramelised Onion www.kurrajongkitchen.com.au Kurrajong Kitchen, Richmond, NSW   CHEESE Gold Heritage Vintage www.begacheese.com.au Bega Cheese, Bega, NSW   COFFEE Champion Australian Single Origin www.artofespresso.com.au Art of Espresso Coffee Company, Young, NSW   DELI MEAT Gold Spanish Chorizo www.german-butchery.com.au German Butchery, Mona Vale, NSW   DELI MEAT Gold Smoked Chicken Breast www.kaczanowski.com.au Kaczanowski & Co, South Strathfield, NSW   DIP Gold Pesto Swirl www.paradisebeach.ws Paradise Beach Purveyors P/L, Avalon Beach, NSW   SWEETS Gold Salted Vanilla Caramels www.sweetness.com.au Sweetness the Patisserie Pty Ltd, Epping, NSW   WINE Gold 2015 Yarra Valley Estate Grown Pinot Noir www.debortoli.com.au De Bortoli Wines, Bilbul, NSW   WINE Gold 2015 Yellow Label Pinot Noir www.wolfblass.com Wolf Blass Wines Pty Ltd, Nurioopta, SA

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What it takes to win Gold at the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show

What it takes to win Gold at the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show

Shiny medals emblazoned on bottles catch our eye when we're looking for a drop to either impress or indulge friends and family. But just how easy is it to win an award in a competition like the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show? We spoke to Samantha Connew, KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show Chair of Judges to find out how the medal system works and how we, the end consumers, benefit. What system of judging does the KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show employ? The KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show follows the best practice recommendations developed by the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology. Senior industry professionals have contributed to the development of step-by-step recommendations which were updated at the end of 2015 and captured in a 72 page document. Best practice wine judging isn't about awarding medals like the Olympics. There isn't just one gold, silver, and bronze.  Best practice scores exhibits out of a possible 100 points. It's a system that gives exhibitors meaningful feedback they can use to improve and market their product. For any given show, there will be multiple medals of each colour awarded. A gold standard wine is one that has been given between 95 - 100 points, a silver medal wine 90 - 94, and bronze 85 - 89. Something else people may not be aware of, is that the judging is conducted 'blind', meaning judges don't see labels or bottles that could influence them. Is that how other wine competitions are judged? In Australia, pretty much every wine show follows this best practice method of judging. The show network in New South Wales is particularly strong. The Sydney Royal team communicate regularly with other show societies in the state sharing advice, knowledge and feedback. That said I'd like to think Sydney Royal plays a leadership role in this state. As part of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW we have a proud history dating back to 1822. So we've had plenty of practice to get it right! For us, it starts with the selection of expert judges (who are rotated annually to avoid judging fatigue). Then we create the best possible environment they can work in. What is the best environment to judge wine in? Space is important and the huge pavilions at Sydney Showground facilitate being able to assess wine on its merits. There's a large back of house area to ensure judges aren't exposed to labels or bottles. And everyone has individual judging benches so there are no distractions. Other factors like the correct temperatures of the room and wine; lighting and glassware are also important. Getting it right comes down to the people managing the competition. The KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show has the expert support of full-time permanent competition coordinators employed by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW who make it all happen. What does it take to be a KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show judge? The right training and experience is essential. Industry professionals who have completed the Len Evans Tutorial, the Advanced Wine Assessment Course run by the Australian Wine Research Institute, or have certification from The Wine & Spirit Education Trust or the Court of Master Sommeliers, will be considered. As for experience, we're looking for people who have exposure to wine on a daily basis such as winemakers, sommeliers, and industry sales and marketing professionals. Medal-winning wines are generally more expensive. Are we funding a marketing ploy or genuinely paying for quality? There are costs involved in entering competitions, but ultimately the price on a bottle is an indication of its quality. That old adage, 'you get what you pay for', definitely applies in the wine industry and there's plenty of scientific evidence to back it up.  That said, it is great to promote wines which we feel over deliver for the price tag, which is why we have value trophies for both red and white wines. There's obvious commercial benefits for winemakers, but what can the end consumer gain from these competitions? The short answer? We're drinking better wine because of them! The Australian wine show judging system is one of the most, if not the most, robust systems in the world. It has been developed over many, many years to promote quality to consumers and provide feedback to winemakers. A medal on a bottle from a credible Australian wine show like Sydney Royal is absolutely an indication of a high standard of quality. It's reassurance you’re buying and serving the best. Through the Australian wine show system, these competitions have helped raise the standard of production which is why you're seeing more medals in your local bottle shop. It's something every Australian can be proud of.

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