Wine Show & Bushing Monarchs
Every year in October, the great producers of the McLaren Vale wine community prepare their most prized wines for judging at the annual McLaren Vale Wine Show - one of the most significant regional wine shows in Australia – culminating with the crowning of the Bushing Monarchs.
THE McLAREN VALE WINE SHOW
The McLaren Vale Wine Show is highly regarded by international and national wine media and trade, and annually attracts a panel of high-calibre wine judges. The Show provides a platform for presenting wines that demonstrate varietal expression, excellence in viticulture and production, as well as provenance and sub-regionality. Originating as the first competitive wine show outside of Adelaide, today the McLaren Vale Wine Show is the largest regional wine show in Australia.
2023 MGA INSURANCE McLAREN VALE WINE SHOW
Chalk Hill’s 2022 Tempranillo Grenache has won McLaren Vale’s Best Wine of Show 2023, seeing Winemaker Renae Hirsch and Owner Tom Harvey crowned McLaren Vale Bushing Monarchs for the second time.
The trophies from the 2023 MGA Insurance McLaren Vale Wine Show, including Best Wine of Show and the prestigious ‘Bushing Monarch’ title, were awarded at the 50th anniversary of the annual McLaren Vale Bushing Lunch, held at Chalk Hill Wines on Friday 27 October.
From over 700 entries, the 2022 Chalk Hill Tempranillo Grenache was selected as the 2023 Best Wine of Show by an impressive panel of judges from across Australia, including Andrew Thomas (Thomas Wines, Hunter Valley) International Judge Sean Ou (The Beverage Clique, Singapore), Rob Mack (Aphelion Wines, McLaren Vale), Ian McKenzie (Langhorne Creek) and Liz Silkman (First Creek Wines, Hunter Valley).
View: 2023 McLaren Vale Wine Show Results Book
WINE SHOW SPONSORS
We acknowledge the support of our Sponsors, whose contributions are vital in continuation of the McLaren Vale Wine Show.
HISTORY OF THE BUSHING TRADITION
HISTORY OF THE BUSHING LUNCH
For half a century, the McLaren Vale wine community has celebrated, shared and crowned its best through the Bushing tradition.
The tradition brought together three elements - the annual wine exhibition, “the best party ever”, and the desire to present new release wines to trade and the public.
The McLaren Vale wine exhibition, developed from an informal showing of wines initiated in 1965 by the Southern Vales Cooperative, was formalised in 1968 by the newly-formed McLaren Vale Winemakers' Committee. Marking the first competitive wine show outside of Adelaide, thirteen southern wineries took part in the 1968 wine exhibition which saw trophies awarded for the best Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dry White wines. This wine exhibition continued to take place in October each year.
In 1972 local legends Greg Trott, Tony Brooks and fellow members of the Spontaneous Events Society organised an Elizabethan-themed Feast which was deemed “the best party ever”, so good in fact that it was decided that it must be repeated.
Around the same time local winemaker David Hardy began advocating for the formation of a local wine festival with an Elizabethan theme to mark the release of new vintage wines and present these to trade and consumers.
In October 1973 the McLaren Vale Wine Bushing Festival was launched as a week-long celebration, encompassing the wine exhibition and a celebratory feast that continued the Elizabethan theme by crowning the maker of the best wine of the show as the Bushing Monarch.
FROM ADOPTED TRADITIONS TO OUR OWN TRADITIONS
The term “bushing” springs from a medieval European custom of placing a branch or bunch of ivy, sometimes known as a bush, above tavern or alehouse doors as a sign that it sold wine. The branch of ivy could also signal the arrival of new wine and so the tradition was adopted in McLaren Vale, where many of the new whites are released towards the end of the year but with an olive branch rather than a bush of ivy.
During the early days of the Bushing Festival, McLaren Vale winemakers adopted this tradition to mark the release of new vintage wines by hanging olive branches over their cellar doors. Nowadays the tradition continues with olive trees placed (or planted) outside many cellar doors.
The format of the Bushing celebration has evolved over the past 50 years from the inaugural Elizabethan Feast to the much larger Bushing Festival and Parade, encompassing family-fun days, gala dinners, cellar door tours, wine breakfasts and tastings.
Today, each October the McLaren Vale winemaking community still gathers for the celebratory gala lunch to celebrate the best of the region through the awarding of the McLaren Vale Wine Show trophies and crowning of the Bushing Monarchs, marked with charged glasses and the singing of the ‘Wassail’.
The job of each newly crowned Bushing Monarch is to ‘ring in’ the start of the next vintage at the annual Bell Ringing Ceremony held in the February, tolling Wirra Wirra’s Angelus Bell.
PAST BUSHING MONARCHS
YEAR | BUSHING MONARCHS | PRODUCER | WINE |
| 2023 | Renae Hirsch & Tom Harvey | Chalk Hill | Chalk Hill 2022 Tempranillo Grenache |
2022 | Malcolm & Richard Leask | Hither & Yon | 2021 Hither & Yon Aglianico |
2021 | Elena Brooks | Dandelion Vineyards | 2020 Dandelion Vineyards Lion's Tooth McLaren Vale Shiraz Riesling |
2020 | Tom Harvey & Renae Hirsch | Chalk Hill Wines | 2019 Chalk Hill Wines Alpha Crucis Old Vine Grenache |
2019 | Malcolm & Richard Leask | Hither & Yon | 2018 Hither & Yon Nero D’Avola |
2018 | Stephen Pannell & Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2016 S.C. Pannell Cabernet Malbec |
2017 | Duncan Kennedy & Elspeth Kay | Kay Brothers | 2016 Kay Brothers Griffon's Key Grenache |
2016 | Stephen Pannell & Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2015 S.C. Pannell Touriga Cabernet Mataro |
2015 | Stephen Pannell & Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2014 S.C. Pannell Grenache Shiraz Touriga |
2014 | Matt Caldersmith and Nic Bowen | Chateau Reynella | 2012 Chateau Reynella Basket Press Shiraz |
2013 | Matt Koch & Randall Cummins | Rosemount Estate | 2012 Rosemount Estate District Release McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon |
2012 | Matt Koch & Andrew Locke | Rosemount Estate | 2011 Rosemount Estate Nursery Project Mataro |
2011 | Stephen Pannell & Fiona Lindquist | S.C. Pannell Wines | 2010 S.C. Pannell Tempranillo Touriga |
2010 | Michael Fragos & Bryn Richards | Chapel Hill | 2008 Chapel Hill Vicar Shiraz |
2009 | Paul Carpenter & Alix Hardy | Hardy's Wines | 2004 Eileen Hardy Shiraz |
2008 | Brian Light & Rose Kentish | Ulithorne Wines | 2008 Ulithorne Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz |
2007 | Scott Rawlinson & Maria Maglieri | Serafino Wines | 2006 Serafino Cabernet Sauvignon |
2006 | Wayne Thomas & Bev Thomas | Wayne Thomas Wines | 2005 Wayne Thomas Shiraz |
2005 | Benn Riggs & Annie Riggs | Penny's Hill | 2004 Penny's Hill Shiraz |
2004 | Wayne Thomas & Bev Thomas | Wayne Thomas Wines | 2003 Wayne Thomas Petit Verdot |
2003 | Dan Hills & Tony Walker | Fox Creek Wines | 2002 Fox Creek Short Row Shiraz |
2002 | Sparky Marquis & Sarah Marquis | Shirvington | 2001 Shirvington Cabernet Sauvignon |
2001 | Grant Harrison & Mark Lloyd | Coriole Vineyards | 1999 Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz |
2000 | Ben Riggs & Annie Riggs | Wirra Wirra Vineyards | 1998 Wirra Wirra "Chook Block" Shiraz |
1999 | Michael Fragos & Justin McNamee | Tatachilla Winery | 1997 Tatachilla Cabernet Sauvignon |
1998 | Sparky Marquis & Sarah Marquis | Fox Creek Wines | 1997 Fox Creek JSM Shiraz / Cabernet Franc |
1997 | Michael Fragos | Tatachilla Winery | 1996 Tatachilla Chardonnay |
1996 | Sparky Marquis & Sarah Marquis | Fox Creek Wines | 1994 Fox Creek Shiraz |
1995 | Brian Light & Kay Light | Merrivale Wines | 1994 Brian Light Reserve Shiraz |
1994 | Mike Farmilo & Diane Murphy | Seaview Winery | 1992 Edwards and Chaffey Shiraz |
1993 | Nick Haselgrove | James Haselgrove Wines | 1992 James Haselgrove "Futures" Shiraz |
1992 | John Loxton & Maria Maglieri | Maglieri Wines | 1990 Maglieri Cabernet Sauvignon |
1991 | Pam Dunsford | Chapel Hill | 1990 Chapel Hill Reserve Shiraz |
1990 | Chester Osborn & Julie McEwen | d'Arenberg Wines | 1987 d'Arenberg Noble Riesling |
1989 | Brian Light & Kay Light | Normans Wines | 1986 Normans Chais Clarendon Shiraz |
1988 | Bill Hardy & Merrilyn Hardy | Thomas Hardy & Sons | 1975 Harrdy's Vintage Port |
1987 | Walter (Bill) Clappis & Kerry Clappis | Ingoldby Wines | 1985 Ingoldby Cabernet Sauvignon |
1986 | Scott Collett & Anne Tully | Woodstock Winery | 1985 Woodstock Chardonnay |
1985 | Graham Stevens & Marie Stevens | Stevens Cambrai Wines | 1984 McLaren Heights Hermitage |
1984 | Geoff Merrill & Janet Merrill | Chateau Reynella | 1977 Chateau Reynella Vintage Port |
1983 | Peter Dennis & Marg Dennis | Daringa Cellars | 1980 Daringa Cabernet Sauvignon |
1982 | Iain Riggs & Janice Riggs | Hazelmere Estate | 1982 Hazelmere Estate Chardonnay |
1981 | Geoff Merrill & Janet Merrill | Chateau Reynella | 1975 Chateau Reynella Vintage Port |
1980 | Ken Maxwell & Margaret Maxwell | Maxwell Wines | 1980 Maxwell Shiraz |
1979 | Steve Maglieri & Letizia Maglieri | Maglieri Wines | 1979 Maglieri Shiraz |
1978 | Ken Maxwell & Margaret Maxwell | Daringa Cellars | 1978 Maxwell Cabernet Sauvignon |
1977 | Ian Wilson & Joylene Thorpe | Southern Australian Vintners | 1977 Burge & Wilson Cabernet Sauvignon |
1976 | Graham Beenham & Jenny Beenham | Southern Vales Co-Op Winery | [Wine Unknown] |
1975 | Graham Stevens & Marie Stevens | Coriole Vineyards | 1975 Festival Shiraz |
1974 | Hugh Lloyd & Molly Lloyd | Coriole Vineyards | 1974 Coriole Shiraz |
1973 | David Hardy & Helen Hardy | Thomas Hardy & Sons | 1970 Bin 80 Eileen Hardy McLaren Vale Shiraz |