MEDIA RELEASE

May 26, 2009

New Prize Pays Tribute to Wine Industry Greats

Three of South Australia's legendary wine industry identities - Hugo Gramp, Tom Hardy and Sidney Hill Smith - will be recognised at the 2009 Royal Adelaide Wine Show with a major new prize to be awarded in their honour. 

The Gramp, Hardy, Hill Smith Prize for Outstanding Wine of Provenance - proudly sponsored by Primary Industries and Resources South Australia - will judge three vintages of one wine spanning more than a decade and including the current vintage.

Pioneers of the Australian wine industry, Hugo Gramp, Tom Hardy and Sidney Hill Smith perished in October, 1938, in an aircraft accident. The trio were travelling to Canberra for a wine industry conference, when their plane (the Kyeema) crashed into Mount Dandenong, killing all 18 passengers and crew. 

Announcing the prize at today's Adelaide Wine Press Club luncheon at the National Wine Centre, Royal Adelaide Wine Show Committee, Deputy Chair, Andrew Hardy said the new prize would perpetuate the memory of these three prominent South Australian winemakers. 

"The prize is designed to encourage South Australian wineries which have worked diligently to define a wine style that reflects their region and sense of place, and to recognise crafted wines of lineage and longevity," he said.

"There will be one award only and the wines need to demonstrate, first and foremost, superior quality as a group, as well as consistency of style and expression.

"At a time when the Australian wine sector is occasionally, and I feel unfairly, under attack for lacking individuality and flair, we hope this new prize will play a part in focusing the minds of stakeholders and interested observers in our sense of place and style."

Australia's most prestigious wine show, the Royal Adelaide Wine Show is an initiative of the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA. First held in 1871, this year will mark the 133rd show in 138 years. In 2008 the Show attracted over 2,500 entries from 370 Australian wineries.

The winners of the 2009 Royal Adelaide Wine Show will be announced on Friday, October 16, 2009, at 11am. The 'Taste of the Best' public tasting - which enables wine lovers to pour tastings of any of the wines entered in the Show, including the trophy and medal winning wines - is held from 6pm to 8pm.

For more information on the Royal Adelaide Wine Show, including the Gramp, Hardy, Hill Smith Prize, visit www.thewineshow.com.au.