BEECHWORTH winemaker Adrian Rodda has been awarded the prestigious Premier's Trophy for his 2023 A. Rodda Baxendale Chardonnay, announced at Parliament House Wednesday night.

An initiative of the Victorian Wine Show and supported by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the award is decided by a panel of experts following a taste-off between the winning wines from each of Victoria’s regional wine shows in 2024.

Panel member and incoming chair of judges at the Victorian Wine Show, Josh Cooper, said the judging represents "the best of the best" of the Victorian wine industry, with the diverse range of styles and varieties showing "the depth and breadth of great winegrowing and making in the state."

"The A. Rodda Chardonnay won in a hotly contested taste-off," he said.

"It is a neo-classic style from a great vintage showing a combination of fruit quality, depth of flavour with deft winemaking to amplify the quality raw materials.”

The 2023 A. Rodda Baxendale Chardonnay is made from grapes grown at high altitude in the King Valley.

The Premier’s Trophy tasting included regional classics such as Rutherglen durif, Yarra Valley pinot noir and Western Victorian shiraz, with a 2022 Anderson Winery Cellar Block durif (Rutherglen) and a 2023 Fighting Gully Road verdicchio (Beechworth) the other locals among the 12 champion wines.

Finalists attended the special event held at Parliament House, and their wines were presented at a tasting which included government and industry.

As part of the awards, all the finalists’ wines will be served at functions at Parliament House over the next year, further promoting the quality of the local wine industry.

Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan conducted her own tasting under wine show conditions, agreeing with the professional judges - also selecting the 2023 A. Rodda Chardonnay as her top wine.

Ms Allan admitted prior to the tasting that chardonnay was “not her favourite”, but left the tasting really impressed with the quality of local chardonnay.

As such, the 2023 A. Rodda Baxendale Chardonnay was awarded the Premier’s Choice Award, as well as the Premier’s Trophy.