2025 Riedel Riesling Masterclass
The 2025 Riedel Riesling Masterclass will be held Thursday 17 October 2025 at the Hotel Realm.
The Masterclass Theme and Presenters will be advised shortly.
Tickets will be on sale from 1 July
Canberra International Riesling Challenge 2025
The 24th Canberra International Riesling Challenge will be held 13-18 October 2025.
Entries for the 24th Canberra International Riesling Challenge will open on 1 June with expectations that this will be another great year for the Challenge.
Founded in 2000, the Canberra International Riesling Challenge celebrates the Queen of Grapes, Riesling, aiming to improve the quality of Riesling available to consumers and to improve consumers’ understanding and appreciation of Riesling.
The Challenge is the largest single varietal wine show in the Southern Hemisphere usually attracting over 500 entries from 7-10 countries. Entries are judged according to their age and style and they are presented to the judges by growing region so that the distinctive regional characteristics that develop in Riesling guide the judging. The best wines from each region are then selected to compete for style and national trophies.
Scoring will again be made using the 100 points system with the CIRC awards system using the 100 point system on the Award stickers. In 2025 we will run a hybrid system of the CIRC awards labels and the traditional show system awards. Artwork for both will be produced and entrants will be able to choose which they use.
The 2025 Awards will be:
Elite/Gold: 95 or more points
Premium/Silver: 90 to 94 points
Commended/Bronze: 85 to 89 points
2024 Realm Riesling Dinner
An evening of excellent food and wine – Rare Rieslings from the CIRC cellar matched with food from the Hotel Realm chefs.
The wines from the CIRC Cellar have all won trophies or have been judged as elite wines at a Riesling Challenge. An opportunity to taste extremely rare aged Rieslings that are generally not commercially available and enjoy the outstanding matched food.
A convivial atmosphere amongst fellow Riesling lovers.
This is a very special opportunity – A “must attend”
Date: Friday 18 October 2024
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 pm
Venue: Hotel Ream, High Courtyard North
Price: $160
2024 Riedel Riesling Masterclass – Riesling De-Mystified
De-Mystifying Riesling . An expert guided tour of outstanding Rieslings.
Presented by:
Stephen Wong MW, VDP Ambassador for NZ – The VDP Pyramid De-Mystified – formed in 1910 the VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) is a group of about 200 German wineries that developed a wine quality system that is now largely adopted by the German wines act. The system rates both wine style and sweetness, origin of grapes and rates micro sites for grape quality. Understand the VDP quality pyramid and taste some exceptional German Riesling!
and
Cate Looney, Chief Winemaker, Brown Family Wines, VIC – “Sweet and Dessert Rieslings ” – Riesling is one of the most versatile grape varieties and is made across a variety of styles. Cate will take us through a range of sweet Rieslings explaining how these wines are made and how the method of their creation impacts the wine characteristics- Botrytis, cordon cut and ice wines.
A “must attend” for any Riesling lover.
Due to the rarity of some of these wines places are limited.
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/CLGYB
2024 TMHA International Riesling Experience
The largest collection of Riesling assembled in the Southern Hemisphere in 2024, the CIRC Toyota Material Handling Australia International Riesling Experience is your opportunity to taste Rieslings from six countries including the best Riesling regions of the world.
A collection of the best of the 2024 current vintage Rieslings, older currently available Rieslings and old and rare Museum Wines.
Featuring a range of styles from Dry to sweet Desert wines and Aperitifs and sparkling Sekts, many of these wines are rare and not readily available commercially.
If you are Riesling lover or want to understand more about this most versatile of grapes this is a must attend event
Includes a 2024 Results catalogue and a complimentary Riedel tasting glass.
Bookings are essential, online ticket sales only.
11:00 am Saturday 19 October
Albert Hall Yarralumla
$60 for four hours of the Best Riesling collection in Australia in 2024!
Tickets on sale from 1 August
Complimentary Trade and Competitor access from 10:00 am
Contact CIRC for Promo Codes
2023 TMHA International Riesling Experience
The largest collection of Riesling assembled in the Southern Hemisphere in 2023, the CIRC Toyota Material Handling Australia International Riesling Experience is your opportunity to taste Rieslings from six countries including the best Riesling regions of the world.
A collection of the best of the 2023 current vintage Rieslings, older currently available Rieslings and old and rare Museum Wines.
Featuring a range of styles from Dry to sweet Desert wines and Aperitifs and sparkling Sekts, many of these wines are rare and not readily available commercially.
If you are Riesling lover or want to understand more about this most versatile of grapes this is a must attend event
Includes a 2023 Results catalogue and a complimentary Riedel tasting glass.
Bookings are essential, online ticket sales only.
11:00 am Saturday 14 October
Albert Hall Yarralumla
$60.00
https://www.trybooking.com/CGPPT
Complimentary Trade and Competitor access from 10:00 am
Contact CIRC for Promo Codes
https://www.trybooking.com/CGPQB
2023 Riedel Riesling Masterclass – A Taste of Eden
A Taste of Eden: featuring the South Australian wine region, Eden Valley. An expert guided tour of outstanding Rieslings.
Presented by:
Brock Harrison, Winemaker Elderton Wines,SA– A View of Eden – exploring one of the worlds greatest Riesling Regions via its current Riesling vintage, the influence of terroir and the characteristics of Eden Valley Riesling,
and
Tim Pelquest-Hunt, Chief Winemaker Orlando Wines, SA – Orlando Steingarten- A vertical Tasting 2002-2022 – One of Australia’s most iconic wines and considered the first Riesling of its kind in Australia. The grapes are taken from vineyards developed in the 1960s. The ability to taste these wines across this range is a very rare opportunity – not to be missed.
A “must attend” for any Riesling lover.
Due to the rarity of some of these wines places are limited.
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/CLGYB
2023 International Riesling Experience
The largest collection of Riesling assembled in the Southern Hemisphere, the CIRC Toyota Materials Handling International Riesling Experience is your opportunity to taste Rieslings from the best Riesling regions of the world.
Riesling in all of its styles dry, semi- dry, sweet desert wines from botrytis grapes, and Ice Wines, sparkling Sekts, and vertical tastings of the provenance class where wines from the same winery with at least 10 years age difference are presented.
Riesling with age ranges from the current vintage to museum wines.
The wines are arranged by style and age and region so this is an opportunity to taste the impact of region and terroir on the characteristics of the wine that is produced.
We are moving back to the single session format so you will have four hours to taste your way around the world, and to taste wines that are unavailable unless you visit the region they come from.
If you are a Riesling lover, or simply want to understand more about the capability of this most versatile of grapes, this is a must attend event.
Tickets for this event must be pre purchased and will be available only on TryBooking
Don’t miss this one – we’ll see you there.
Date: Saturday 14 October 2023
Time: 11am- 3:00pm
Price: $60 (includes a Riedel Glass)
Venue: Albert Hall, Canberra
Bookings available from 1 August
Bookings must be made online at: https://www.trybooking.com/CGPPT
There will be a Trade and Competitor Tasting commencing at 10:00am. Bookings are complimentary using the promo code (available from the secretariat).
Bookings online at: https://www.trybooking.com/CGPQB
2022 Riedel Riesling Master Class
The 2022 Riedel Riesling Master Class will feature two sessions:
Rieslings of New Zealand – Cameron Douglas MS, will present Rieslings from the great Riesling regions of New Zealand – from the block mountains, schisty soils and dry climate of Central Otago; to the dry inland valleys and loess soils of inland Canterbury and Marlborough; Nelson gravels and Wellington Dristrict greywackes. Cameron will explain the regions, how geography determines their terroir and will present a an oustanding Riesling from each of the five key New Zealand Riesling regions, contratsing the characters of the regions.
Cameron is an experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant. He takes his position as unofficial Ambassador for New Zealand wine very seriously, ensuring he spends time in every wine region in the country regularly. He lives his life around his enthusiasm for all things beverage – teaching, travelling, tasting and talking. He has judged and presented regularly in the USA, the UK, Australia and Asia. Holding the first Master Sommelier (MS) qualification to be awarded in the Southern Hemisphere, Cameron has served on the Board of Directors for the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, and is a committed member of the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe.
Riesling with texture – A new zeitgeist for Australian Riesling? – Jane Faulkner, Wine Writer, reviewer and judge will present five exceptional Rieslings from SE Australia chosen for their expression of the characteristics which make Riesling a versatile and complex wine.
Jane is a journalist by training and a wine writer by vocation. She contributes to numerous publications including Halliday magazine and is a reviewer for Australia’s leading wine guide, Halliday Wine Companion and is the Australian contributor for Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Guide. She is also an experienced wine judge and has chaired numerous shows. Jane is a guest presenter at the AWRI Advanced Wine Assessment Course. As part of the ASVO Wine Show Technical Advisory Committee, Jane helped revise, rewrite and update the protocols on running Australian wine shows. She is involved in the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival as a wine committee member advising on content and a regular presenter during the festival. Born in Malaysia and living in Melbourne, Jane never tires of travelling throughout the wine world including Australia in search of stories and wines from inspirational, thoughtful producers. Other than that, she drinks with gusto.
Date: Thursday 13 October
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Venue: High Courtyards, Hotel Realm, National Circuit, Barton
Cost:S110
Bookings must be made online at: https://www.trybooking.com/CBZUM
Includes a light supper.
21st Canberra International Riesling Challenge Postponed
Media Release
24 April 2020
21st Canberra International Riesling Challenge Postponed
The Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC) has been postponed from the planned October 2020 to 11-16 October 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-10 pandemic.
Founded in 2000, the Canberra International Riesling Challenge is the largest single varietal wine show in the Southern Hemisphere usually attracting over 500 entries from 6 -10 countries, and is one of the major Riesling events in the world.
Each year the Challenge welcomes several international judges, receives up to 30% of entries from major Riesling producing regions from around the world, and holds a number of significant public events as part of the Challenge.
“The Challenge Committee has taken the difficult decision to postpone the 21st Canberra International Riesling Challenge from 2020 until October 2021” said the Challenge Chairman, James Service.
“We have taken into consideration the current restrictions on international air travel and the need to protect our staff, volunteers and participants from possible infection associated with handling wines and managing and attending public events.
“The Committee is committed to following all restrictions and directions of Government including the current social distancing and gathering restrictions and given the unknown period of such restrictions we cannot not proceed in 2020”, Mr Service said.
“The Canberra International Riesling Challenge Committee greatly appreciate the support we receive for our sponsors, judges, stewards and other volunteers, Riesling producers and Riesling lovers who have supported the Challenge since its inception”.
“We are confident that the Challenge will be able to return in 2021 to continue to promote excellence in Riesling and the appreciation of Riesling by wine lovers” Mr Service concluded.
Arrangements for 2021
Entries Open 1 June 2021
Entries Close 31 July 2021
Wines received Canberra 20-24 September 2021
Award Judging 11-13 October 2021 – Albert Hall, Yarralumla
Trophy Judging 14 October 2021
Riedel Riesling Masterclass 14 October 2021 – Hotel Realm, Barton
Awards Ceremony 15 October 2021 – Hotel Realm, Barton
Realm Riesling Dinner 15 October 2021 – Buvette Restaurant, Hotel Realm, Barton
Riesling Experience 16 October 2021 – Albert Hall, Yarralumla
Riedel Riesling Masterclass
Hidden Gems
Rieslings from Alsace and Central Otago
Presenters – Anne Krebiehl MW and Cameron Douglas MS