Many winemakers who enter the Sydney Royal Wine Show have been doing so for years — some for decades, a handful carrying on a family tradition that stretches back several generations. For them, the cycle has become part of the rhythm of the winery: entries in April, bottles carefully packed and delivered for evaluation, results announced in August. As familiar as vintage.

It is easy, in that rhythm, to think of an entry purely in terms of what it costs and what it might return and to question long-held traditions in a cluttered environment where every marketing investment counts. But in this 200th anniversary year, it is worth pausing to consider what that long participation of wineries, large and small, has quietly helped to build.

The Sydney Royal Wine Show accepts only Australian wine. Every exhibit must be produced from 100% Australian-grown grapes, commercially bottled and available for sale. This has always been the point. The show is a competition dedicated entirely to Australian wine, run by a not-for-profit whose mission since 1822 has been to advance Australian agriculture through independent assessment and education. The proceeds the show generates are reinvested back into the industry: through scholarships, professional development, and events that put medal-winning wines directly in front of consumers. Since 2013, the RAS wine show has invested over $275,000, providing 63 scholars to advance their understanding of wine assessment.

The number of wines assessed is significant. Over ten years from 2015 to 2025, 19,938 wines were entered into the Sydney Royal Wine Show - the 2020 competition not held due to COVID-19. No small logistical undertaking, and given approx 2,000 wines have been evaluated each year to ensure every wine receives the rigorous evaluation it deserves.

But the show is more than its numbers. Many of today's most respected wine judges began as young Associate Judges, progressing over years to Panel Chairs and, in the case some like Iain Riggs, Samantha Connew, PJ Charteris and Mike de Iuliis, to chairing the show itself. The discipline of assessment shapes careers, and what judges take back to their own companies and vineyards ripples far beyond judging week.

As former Chair of the Wine Committee, Sally Evans noted: "The Sydney Royal Wine Show has taken a leadership position for 200 years in bringing together people from all over the country and all parts of the industry. That cohesion, cooperation and sharing of knowledge is something the RAS of NSW has championed through the Sydney Royal for two centuries. From an overseas point of view, the Australian wine industry is often held up as a beacon of collaboration and friendship. The Sydney Royal Wine Show has been at the heart of that. Something I’m incredibly proud of being a part of."

The Sydney Royal Wine Scholarships

In 2013, the Sydney Royal Wine Show launched a scholarship program that has since supported more than 60 students and professionals across viticulture, oenology, wine science, sommelier education, wine assessment and laboratory technology. More than $275,000 has been invested into the program over that time, allowing so many to develop and contribute to the industry in a range of ways.

Many judging at a capital city wine show will have honed their assessment skills through one of these scholarships. By boosting skills and knowledge around the country, the Sydney Royal Wine Show is proud to be making a difference.

How the wine scholarship fund is built

The scholarships draw from two sources: entry fees from the Sydney Royal Wine Show, and the proceeds from the annual sale of excess judging stock. Any wines submitted for assessment that remain after judging are then sold, and every dollar raised goes directly into the scholarship fund. The program includes the Graham Thorp Scholarship, named after the Chair of the Sydney Royal Wine Committee from 1984 to 1990.

How it has scholarship program has grown

When the wine scholar program began in 2013, it was awarded to Brendan Carter (now founder of Bottle Shock) – the prize then being a single scholarship for a student in viticulture or oenology. By 2017, it had expanded, adding a new category specifically for working professionals seeking to develop their technical assessment and sensory skills. In 2021, the Professional Development Scholarship was broadened and renamed, extending its reach to include advanced viticulture, wine education, sommelier accreditation and professional certifications through the AWRI, WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers.

What the Show Has Contributed to Australian Wine Quality

It is hard to quantify what two centuries of independent assessment have contributed to the quality of Australian wine. What began as a competition dominated by fortified wines evolved through Hocks, Clarets and Burgundy classes, before Australia found its international voice through varietal whites and reds. Now the show assesses low-alcohol wines and sees rising classes for alternative varieties that are steadily becoming part of the mainstream Australian drinking repertoire. The show has moved with the industry at every step.

The people who have championed that process deserve recognition. Back in the 1970s and 80s, respected figures including James Halliday, Ian MacKenzie and John Duval were among those lending their palates and expertise to the judging panels, helping to set the standards that producers would aim for in the years ahead.

That tradition continues. Melanie Chester, 2025 Panel Chair at the Sydney Royal Wine Show and Winemaker at Giants Steps in the Yarra Valley, reflected on what the show system means to the industry: "The Australian wine industry is incredibly diverse, growing grapes across Australia. The wine show system allows us to celebrate excellence in diversity, and also the development in our industry, new varietals, people excelling in growing great grapes and making exceptional wine. It's an amazing industry, and these shows are an important part in bettering the breed of great Australian wine."

Two hundred years in, that sentiment feels as relevant as it did at the beginning. The next chapter may see alternative varieties better suited to the Australian climate earning their place alongside Shiraz and Chardonnay, or styles reflecting changing drinking habits — lower alcohol, lighter framed, brighter. Whatever direction Australian wine takes, the show will be there to assess it.

Feedback for Continual Improvement in Wine Quality

One of the most practically valuable things the Sydney Royal Wine Show provides has nothing to do with medals. Every producer who enters receives confidential written feedback on every wine they submit, regardless of result. Judges' notes on each exhibit give winemakers and viticulturalists an independent expert assessment with no commercial agenda. Across vintages and over years, that feedback shapes real decisions in the vineyard and the winery.

As Panel Chair and Judge Melanie Chester explains: "The Sydney Royal Wine Show system allows exhibitors to enter wine by vintage and varietal. As judges we look at them and celebrate the best wines, but we also give feedback — we love the wines because of their purity, intensity or texture, but on the other side of that, we highlight to producers where they can improve. This allows for a rising tide for Australian wines."

The cumulative effect of that process, multiplied across thousands of entries and decades of judging, is significant. Producers receive critical, objective insights from accomplished judges they would not otherwise encounter. For smaller wineries without access to formal technical consultation, it can be genuinely transformative.

Importantly, the composition of judging panels has also evolved since the early days. A balance of winemakers, sommeliers, journalists, and retailers are all involved to offer their perspectives and ensure that the consumer is the winner in what is selected.

The show has also driven broader systemic change in how Australian wine is assessed. In recent decades this has included the move to a 100-point judging system, tablet-based judging for greater consistency, the establishment of the Capital City Wine Shows Committee, and regular annual meetings with NSW regional shows to strengthen the national network. Two classes for innovation were introduced to ensure the show remains relevant to where Australian winemaking is heading. Each change has been made with the same purpose: to make the assessment more rigorous, the feedback more useful, and the results more meaningful for the producers who depend on them.  

Grape, Grain & Graze: Getting the Work in Front of People

For most of the show's history, the relationship between a medal and a consumer was indirect. The sticker appeared on the label. Someone noticed it in a bottle shop or on a wine list. The winemaker and the drinker rarely met.

Grape, Grain & Graze, launched in 2018, changed that. Every September at Sydney Showground, medal-winning producers from the Sydney Royal Wine Show have the opportunity to pour and present their wines directly to over 1000 consumers and trade professionals. The people who make purchasing decisions, write about wine, and build wine lists. For smaller producers especially, that kind of direct access is genuinely difficult to arrange independently.

Trophy and Special Prize winners are also invited to the Wine Communicators of Australia Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners Luncheon each August, where their wines are matched with a curated menu for an audience of industry professionals and media. Both events exist for the same reason: a medal should open a door, not just decorate a bottle.

Two Hundred Years: A Discussion of the Past, Present and Future of Australian Wine Shows

In 2026, the Sydney Royal Wine Show marks 200 years since wine was first included in the Agricultural Society's competition schedule. It is a milestone that belongs as much to the producers who have entered over those two centuries as it does to the organisation that has run the competition.

Wine's place in Australia's agricultural story has never been more worth acknowledging. It is a product grown from the land by people who have dedicated their working lives to understanding it. The show was founded to recognise that, and the commitment is as important in 2026 as it was in 1826.

To mark the occasion, the RAS is hosting a wine industry symposium, Sydney Royal 200 on 31 July 2026, immediately following judging at Sydney Showground. It is an opportunity for winemakers, viticulturalists, wine educators and industry professionals to come together and reflect on the contribution wine shows have made to Australian wine quality over two centuries, and on what comes next. Producers who enter the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show will receive discounted tickets for their teams to attend.

It is a small gesture of recognition. An invitation to be in the room for a conversation that is, in many ways, about the work producers have always been doing. Find out more here XXXX

A Summary of What an Entry into the Sydney Royal Wine Show Supports

In 2025, the Tucker Seabrook Perpetual Trophy for Best Wine of Show was awarded to the 2023 Abbey Vale Premium RSV Cabernet Sauvignon. For every producer in the show, medal or not, here is what their entry contributed to and received in return:

Q and A: Entering the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show

How much does it cost to enter?

The entry fee for the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show is $150 per exhibit, including GST. Entries are submitted online at rasnsw.com.au/wine.

Where do entry fees go?

Entry fees, along with proceeds from the sale of excess judging stock, fund the Sydney Royal Wine Show scholarship program and other industry education initiatives through the RAS Foundation. Since 2013, more than $275,000 has been awarded to over 63 scholars.

What feedback do entrants receive?

Every entry receives confidential individual feedback from the judging panel, regardless of result. This independent expert assessment is one of the most practically useful aspects of entering, particularly for producers benchmarking and improving their wines across vintages.

When do entries open?

Entries for the 200th Sydney Royal Wine Show open on 22 April 2026. All entries are submitted online at rasnsw.com.au/wine.

What is the Sydney Royal 200 Wine Judging Symposium?

To mark the 200th anniversary, the RAS is hosting a wine industry symposium on 31 July 2026 at Sydney Showground, following the four days of judging. It is open to wine industry professionals, trade, producers, retailers and sommeliers and will explore the contribution of wine shows to Australian wine quality over two centuries, alongside a look at how the show operates. Producers who enter the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show receive discounted tickets for their teams. For details visit rasnsw.com.au/wine. Tickets will go on sale in May 2026.

How can I apply for a Sydney Royal Wine Scholarship?

Scholarship applications open annually, typically mid-year. They are open to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are either studying a wine-related course or working in the Australian wine industry. Full details at rasnsw.com.au/foundation/scholarships/sydney-royal-wine-scholarships.

What is Grape, Grain & Graze?

Grape, Grain & Graze is the public festival held each September at Sydney Showground where medal-winning producers from the Sydney Royal Wine Show pour directly for consumers and trade. Every medal-winning wine is available for tasting, alongside award-winning beer, cider and spirits, matched with food and live music, in front of an audience of over 1000 consumers.