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2025 Riedel Riesling Masterclass

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Step into the world of Riesling with this year’s exclusive RIEDEL Masterclass

The evening begins with a special exploration of the Canberra District’s Rieslings Hosted by Emma Shaw from Collector Wines. This session offers the rare chance to taste museum wines from the CIRC cellar alongside more recent vintages, along the way, Emma will highlight the distinct sub-regions within the district, showing how subtle differences in site and climate shape Riesling styles. Together, these wines tell the story of a region that has established itself as one of Australia’s most exciting and distinctive destinations for Riesling.

The masterclass then continues with a rare opportunity to taste wines from the CIRC Museum Collection Hosted by Chair of judges for 2025 Andrea Pritzker MW, featuring past trophy-winning Rieslings that are rarely commercially available. This extraordinary session offers the chance to revisit some of the most celebrated wines from the past two decades.

BOOK NOW

Canberra International Riesling Challenge 2025

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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

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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

 

https://www.trybooking.com/CVUFO

2024 Riedel Riesling Masterclass – Riesling De-Mystified

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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 Canberra International Riesling Challenge Key Dates

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Dates for 2024

23rd CANBERRA INTERNATIONAL RIESLING CHALLENGE 14-19 OCTOBER 2024

1 June 2024 – Entries open

31 July 2024 – Entries close

23-27  September 2024 – Entries received in Canberra

14-17 October 2024 – Judging period

17 October 2024 – Riedel Riesling Master Class

18 October 2024 – Realm Riesling Dinner

18 October 2024 – Awards Presentation

19 October 2024 – Toyota Material Handling International Riesling Experience

2024 Challenge Awards

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In 2024 the Canberra International Riesling Challenge is modifying its points based  awards system to align with the traditional Gold Silver and Bronze Awards and offering a dual awards system to entrants

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2024 TMHA International Riesling Experience

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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

Book Here

Complimentary Trade and Competitor access from 10:00 am
Contact CIRC for Promo Codes

Trade Booking

2023 TMHA International Riesling Experience

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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

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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

2024 Canberra International Riesling Challenge: 14 – 19 October

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The 23rd Canberra International Riesling Challenge will be held 14-19 October 2024.

Entries for the 23rd 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 2024 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 2024 Awards will be:

Elite/Gold: 95 or more points
Premium/Silver: 90 to 94 points
Commended/Bronze: 85 to 89 points