This lady’s worth drinking to!

By Paul Dunlop
BENNY D’Angelo knew exactly how to celebrate the extraordinary success of his ‘Lady’ chardonnay.
“We had a glass or two,” Mr D’Angelo said after the Officer estate’s wine was named as the standout entry at the Gippsland Wine Show.
Held at Warragul last Thursday, nearly 200 wines from 46 wines were entered in the show organised by Wines of Gippsland and sponsored by the region’s local government and business communities.
The show is open exclusively to wines made from fruit grown in Gippsland and the Cardinia region.
The D’Angelo Estate 2004 ‘Lady’ chardonnay was not only named Wine of the Year, it also picked up the trophies for Best Chardonnay and Best White Wine.
Mr D’Angelo was thrilled with the success of his chardonnay which emphasised the growing recognition of the Cardinia area as a treasure trove for wine enthusiasts.
“It was a real surprise. To win three trophies for the one wine was pretty amazing,” he said.
Mr D’Angelo said the win ranked among the best of the accolades the Officer estate’s wines have received. The recognition was most welcome, he said.
“We’ve been a bit of a forgotten region, this certainly helps to put us on the map,” he said.
In another nod to great local talent, the wine was made at Cannibal Creek by winemaker Pat Hardiker.
Tynong Northbased Cannibal Creek won a gold medal for its 2004 chardonnay and was just pipped for the best chardonnay award, while the winery’s 2003 pinot noir won a bronze medal, its 2005 merlot was a top silver and trophy winner and the 2005 vin de liqueur was awarded a bronze medal. The 2005 Hardiker pinot noir was a top gold winner.
Kirsten Hardiker of Cannibal Creek said two of the three finalists of the Signature Dish compeition were matching their dishes to Cannibal Creek wines.
Australia’s renowned wine writer James Halliday led a team of expert judges at the Gippsland Wine Show and believed the quality of wines and the show had significantly improved on last year.
Entries were received from as far east as Cann River and Lakes Entrance and as far west as Narre Warren and Beaconsfield.
Woongarra Estate in Narre Warren East won best shiraz while Warragul winery Wild Dog was awarded the trophy for best aromatic dry white for their 2006 riesling.
Brandy Creek Wines of Drouin East received the trophy for best sparkling wine for their sparkling pinot gris.