awards Archives - Cider Australia

Cider Australia is the peak body for the cider and perry industries in Australia.

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There is just over one week left to enter the 2022 Australian Cider Awards!

Cider producers and brand representatives are invited to enter ciders, speciality ciders and apple & pear spirits in Australia’s largest and most prestigious cider show.

Entries will be assessed blind by an accomplished panel of beverage and food industry professionals led by chair Master Sommelier Sebastian Crowther and including international guest judge Yann Gilles from France.

President of Cider Australia Warwick Billings said the Awards create an opportunity for entrants to market their Award-winning products with a recognised and respected stamp of quality, helping customers choose great examples of the many cider styles available in Australia.

“We are looking forward to announcing the winners at Australian cider industry’s annual gala dinner to be held in South Australia for the first time, at Lot 100 in the Adelaide Hills”, said Warwick.

Registrations to the Awards close on Friday 14 October. Enter online via myaca.melbourneroyal.com.au

Tickets to the presentation dinner are available via Eventbrite.

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

2022 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries open	Thu 8 Sep
Entries close	Fri 14 Oct
Deliver entries	Mon 17 Oct – Fri 28 Oct
Judging (closed to the public)	Mon 7 & Tue 8 Nov (William Angliss Institute, Melbourne)
Awards presentation dinner	Fri 18 Nov (Lot 100, Adelaide Hills)

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Media enquiries

Contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia

Cider Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation funded by cider businesses and sponsors, established in 2012. It aims to build a sustainable cider category by undertaking activities that improve the quality of ciders produced and marketed in Australia. The organisation represents the interests of the cider industry to policy makers, calling for regulations and policies that support a diverse and evolving cider industry, and runs the national cider conference AusCider and the Australian Cider Awards.

About the Awards

The 2022 Australian Cider Awards will be held in Spring 2022. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Judging of the 2022 Awards will be held on 7-8 November 2022 at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises 7 full judges and 4 associates and brings expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry including:

chair Sebastian Crowther (Real Wines)
international guest Yann Gilles (Malus & Vitis, France)
Nyall Condon (Flying Brick Cider Co)
Lucy Maddox (Forest Dweller Wines)
Vanessa Altmann (Mighty Craft)
Lisa Cardelli (Terroir Selections)
Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay (NSW Department of Primary Industries)

Cider Australia has opened entries to the 2021 Australian Cider Awards!

President of Cider Australia and chair of the Awards organising team, Warwick Billings, said the tenth annual show will go ahead for the first time in more than two years with the judging to be held in Melbourne in January.

Record numbers of entries are anticipated in Australia’s largest ‘blind’ cider tasting which sets the benchmark for cider shows across Australia.

“This year’s Schedule has 29 classes including a new Herbs/Spices class and provision for low and no-alcohol products to enter for the first time, keeping the Awards contemporary and in line with the market”, said Warwick.

“The team has been ready and preparing for the Awards despite Covid-19, and the window of opportunity is now here.

“We are glad we hung in there and the show is finally going to happen as it will bring a lot of festive spirit to the Australian cider community”, Warwick said.

Registrations open today via myaca.rasv.com.au and close 3 December.

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

2021 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Tue 9 Nov 2021
Entries Close	Fri 3 Dec 2021
Deliver Entries	Mon 6 – Fri 24 Dec 2021
Judging (closed to the public)	Tue 18 & Wed 19 Jan 2022
Awards Presentation	To be advised

cideraustralia.org.au

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia

About the Awards

The 10th annual Australian Cider Awards will be held in late 2021/early 2022 following its postponement in 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic. The Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. It promotes and rewards excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry suppliers, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers. In 2019 the Awards received a record 276 entries from 84 Australian and international producers.

Cider Australia is launching the Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards to identify and acknowledge venues that offer customers an excellent selection of ciders.

The Best Cider Selection Awards will accept nominations from licensed establishments and liquor retailers across Australia in three categories – Pub/Restaurant, Liquor Retailer and Cidery/Cellar Door.

President of Cider Australia, Warwick Billings, said the new competition is an important progression for the cider industry as cider palates evolve and consumers seek out new tasting and food matching experiences.

“Our aim is to reward the venue owners, managers and sommeliers that go the extra mile to present their customers with interesting, unique and delicious cider choices”, said Warwick.

“The Awards will help people find venues that serve great cider, whether they are looking to have an after-work drink, casual weekend lunch or a high-end restaurant meal.

Entries will be assessed on the quality, diversity and suitability of the ciders on offer, as well as efforts to educate and assist customers to select products.

Category winners will receive a trophy, marketing collateral and social media opportunities.

Entries open next week and close on 29 October.

COMPETITION DETAILS ARE ON THE CIDER AUSTRALIA WEBSITE.

Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Early October 2021
Entries Close	29 October 2021
Winners Announced	Mid November 2021

cideraustralia.org.au/

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on
0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au.

About Cider Australia

The Best Cider Selection of the Year Awards expand Cider Australia’s existing efforts to benchmark and promote the cider industry and from 2022 will be incorporated into the annual Australian Cider Awards program. The Australian Cider Awards were postponed in 2020 and remain on hold in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Apple and pear trees have started to blossom as the countdown begins to Australia’s largest cider show.

Entries to the 2019 Australian Cider Awards are due this Friday 27 September with another record year of entries anticipated.

Show organiser Cider Australia is ready to welcome this year’s international guest Tom Oliver from the Oliver’s Cider & Perry (UK) who will bring a well-rounded perspective to the already impressive judging panel.

All producers and marketers that sell cider in Australia are encouraged to enter the competition to benchmark their products, receive feedback from independent experts and compete for medals which are a recognised stamp of excellence.

Award winners will be announced at a gala dinner on Friday 8 November.

The Awards promote and reward excellence in cider production and bring together cider makers, industry suppliers, communicators, retailers, sommeliers and consumers.

Enter the Awards via https://myaca.rasv.com.au

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES INCLUDING THE STYLE GUIDE AND RULES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CIDER AUSTRALIA WEBSITE.

Tickets to the Australian Cider Awards Dinner are $135 and available through Eventbrite.

www.cideraustralia.org.au

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About Cider Australia

Australian Cider Awards

The 9th annual Australian Cider Awards will be held in Spring 2019. It is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across Australia. Last year the Awards received 260 entries from Australian and international producers. Judging of the 2019 Awards will be held on 22-23 October 2019 at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne. The panel comprises 7 full judges and 4 associates and brings expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry including:

Chair Sebastian Crowther MS (REAL Wines)
Guest UK judge Tom Oliver
Nathan Hyde (InterGO Partners)
James Kendell (Small Acres Cyder)
Loïc Le Calvez (Wine Truth)
Jody Scott (NZ’s Zeffer Cider)

Tom Oliver – Biography

Tom Oliver leads a fabulously full life. He is a farmer and the sound engineer and tour manager for The Proclaimers, but it’s for the quality of the ciders and perries he makes in Ocle Pychard, Herefordshire and his collaborations with brewers and cidermakers, that he has gained a reputation around the world. He enjoys drinking cider only just slightly more than he enjoys talking about it but most of all it is the people around cider that stimulates and excites him.

Key dates

Entries Open	Mon 8 Jul
Entries Close	Fri 27 Sep
Deliver Entries	Mon 30 Sep – Fri 11 Oct
Judging (media representatives are invited to visit the judging but this is closed to public)	Tue 22 & Wed 23 Oct (Melb)
Awards Presentation	Fri 8 Nov (Melb)

For more details please contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au. Follow the Awards via twitter @cideraustralia and the #australianciderawards hashtag.

Cider making excellence will be under the spotlight at the annual Australian Cider Awards, which opened for entries today.

Australia’s largest cider show enters its eighth year with expectations of more than 300 entries and a commitment to show the world that Australian ciders are up there with the best.

President of Cider Australia and co-founder of Willie Smith’s Cider Makers in Tasmania Sam Reid said the Awards have become a stamp of quality that producers respect and aspire towards.

“By recognising excellence in production we encourage the cider industry to keep building skills, investing and pushing the boundaries of what consumers expect”, said Mr Reid.

“We have introduced a new low alcohol cider and perry class this year in response to growth in this segment of the market, and predict a continued surge in entries of more complex traditional ciders and craft spirits.

“Every year more entries excite and “wow” the palates of our judges, and we can’t wait to see what emerges this year.

“This year with the Australian industry beginning to focus on exporting as part of the $500,000 Export and Regional Wine Support package there will be an even greater focus on how Australian ciders perform against their International counterparts, and I for one can’t wait until the Awards dinner!”, he said.

Twenty-eight classes will be judged covering standard cider and perry, specialty and intensified and distilled styles.

Winners will be announced at a gala industry dinner on Friday 5th October at the Mercure Sydney, with more celebrations at the Australian Cider Festival on Saturday 6th October.

Enter the 2018 Australian Cider Awards online via www.cideraustralia.org.au/awards

Entries close on Friday 31st August 2018.

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES ARE IN THE 2018 Style Guide AND 2018 Competition Information.

For more details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au. Follow the Awards via twitter @cideraustralia and the #australianciderawards hashtag.

2018 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Fri 1 June
Entries Close	Fri 31 Aug
Deliver Entries	3 – 14 Sept
Judging (closed to public)	Tue 25 and Wed 26 Sept (Melbourne)
Awards Presentation	Fri 5 Oct (Sydney)
Australian Cider Festival	Sat 6 Oct (Sydney)

Media representatives are invited to visit the judging in central Melbourne, but this is closed to the public.

The competition director of the world’s largest cider show GLINTCAP will judge at the 2018 Australian Cider Awards.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid today revealed the judging panel for the 8th national cider show.

“I’m pleased to announce that Eric West from the United States will be our guest international judge this year”, said Mr Reid.

Mr West runs the renowned online information and news resource Cider Guide (ciderguide.com) and is a leading cider educator with many accolades to his name, including the prized United States Association of Cider Makers’ Significant Contribution to the Cider Industry award.

“Eric has an amazing knowledge of ciders from all corners of the world, impressive judging credentials and a real passion for spreading the good word on cider which fits our guest judge role perfectly”, said Mr Reid.

The independent panel of judges will be chaired by Behn Payten of Payten & Jones Wines and include Mr West, Mike Bennie (freelance writer and journalist), Sebastian Crowther MS (Rockpool Dining Group), Briony Liebich (Lion Co) and Jody Scott (NZ’s Zeffer Cider).

“The remarkable quality and breadth of expertise on the panel is one of the things that sets the Awards apart and we’re proud to be able to put together a panel of this calibre”, Mr Reid said.

Mr West will run workshops while in Australia on the current state of the US cider industry and the organisation and management of GLINTCAP, the Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition.

Entries to the 2018 Australian Cider Awards open on 1 June.

Award winners will be announced at a gala industry dinner in Sydney on 5 October.

For further details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson at office@cideraustralia.org.au or 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au

AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS BACKGROUND

Cider Australia will run the 8th annual Australian Cider Awards in Spring 2018.
The Australian Cider Awards is the largest cider competition in Australia. Last year there were 250 entries from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, US, Italy, Spain and Sweden.
Judging will be held over 2 days in late September at the William Angliss Institute in central Melbourne. The judging is closed to entrants and the public.
The Judging panel comprises 6 judges (including the guest international judge) and 2 associate judges.
Products can be entered in one of 28 Award classes covering Traditional and New World cider and perry, specialty and intensified/distilled styles.
Key changes to the class structure in 2018 are:
- the ‘Medium’ cider and perry classes will be split into ‘Medium Dry’ (~ 9 – 35g/L sugar) and ‘Medium Sweet’ (~ 35-40g/L sugar) reflecting the number of products that are being entered in this sweetness range.
- a new low alcohol cider class for products with an ABV of 1.15-3.5% will be added to the schedule.
- the apple and pear spirits class will be split into a non-aged (Eau de Vie) and an aged spirits class.
Results will be announced at a gala cider industry dinner on Friday 5 October 2018 in Sydney.
The Awards is an important precursor to the largest craft cider festival in Australia, the annual Australian Cider Festival, to be held on Saturday 6 October 2018 in Sydney.

Full entry details including the competition rules and 2018 Style Guide will be available soon at www.cideraustralia.org.au

Magners Original Apple cider has won the Best in Show at the 2017 Australian Cider Awards in the largest ever field of entries.

Cider producers and industry representatives from across Australia gathered to honour the winners of the Awards at Friday night’s gala dinner in Melbourne.

Magners Original Apple was awarded the top prize because it displayed a perfect balance of sugar, tannin and overall complexity combined with toasty, savoury, creamy notes – the ‘wow’ factor that helped this product rise to the top.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid said the night was particularly memorable because Cider Australia presented its inaugural Champion of the Industry Award, a new award that honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Australian cider industry over a prolonged period of time.

“The Award was presented posthumously to Harcourt orchardist and cider maker Drew Henry”, said Mr Reid.

“Drew was a passionate advocate for craft cider, a generous educator and a leader in his field, and the Australian cider industry is in a better place as a result of Drew’s involvement”.

Four other gold medals were awarded in the competition to St Ronan’s Cider from Victoria, The Barossa Cider Co along with new entrant The Sparkke Change Beverage Company from South Australia and the UK’s Westons Cider.

Chief Steward of the Awards Nyall Condon said it is amazing to see how far the Awards have come in just a few years with a record 250 local and international entries (25% more than last year) and a big step up in the number and grade of medals being awarded.

A list of the Award winners is attached. Full results are contained in the 2017 Australian Cider Awards Results Booklet.

Media Note: For more details or to arrange interviews/photos please contact Jane Anderson at Cider Australia on 0434 559 759 or office@cideraustralia.org.au

WINNERS LIST – 2017 AUSTRALIAN CIDER AWARDS

TROPHIES

Best in Show	Magners with Original Apple
Best Traditional Cider	St Ronan’s with Methode Traditionelle Heritage
Best New World Cider	Magners with Original Apple
Best Perry	Carmel Cider with Pear
Best Cider and Perry Blend	LOBO Cider with Apple & Pear
Best Intensified/Distilled Cider or Perry	Small Acres Cyder with 2015 Pomona Ice
Best Australian Cider or Perry	St Ronan’s with Methode Traditionelle Heritage
Best International Cider or Perry	Magners with Original Apple
Most Successful Small Producer (< 50,000 litres per year)	Small Acres Cyder
Most Successful Larger Producer (>50,000 litres per year)	Westons Cider
Inaugural “Champion of the Industry Award”	Drew Henry

BEST IN CLASS

Class 1A	New World Dry Cider	Winter Brook Vintage Cider 2016	Winter Brook
Class 1B	Traditional Dry Cider	Willie Smiths Somerset Red Streak Dry Cider	William Smith & Sons
Class 2A	New World Medium Cider	Original Apple	Magners
Class 2B	Traditional Medium Cider	Wyld Wood Organic Apple	Westons Cider
Class 3A	New World Sweet Cider	Squashed Apple Cider	The Barossa Cider Co
Class 3B	Traditional Sweet Cider	LOBO Royale	LOBO Cider
Class 4A/B	Method Traditional (disgorged) Cider	Methode Traditionelle Heritage	St Ronan’s
Class 5A	New World Dry Perry	Pear Perry	Spreyton Cider Co
Class 5B	Traditional Dry Perry	No entries
Class 6A	New World Medium Perry	Packham Pear	The Cider Lab
Class 6B	Traditional Medium Perry	Pear Cider	Twisted Sister Cider
Class 7A	New World Sweet Perry	Mr Finch Pear Perry (Bottle)	Mr Finch
Class 7B	Traditional Sweet Perry	No entries
Class 8A/B	Method Traditional (disgorged) Perry	Pear	Carmel Cider
Class 9	Speciality/Experimental Cider or Perry	The Hills Cider Company Hop Edition	The Hills Cider Company
Class 10	Apple and Pear Blends	LOBO Apple & Pear	LOBO Cider
Class 11	Cider or Perry with Fruit	The Hills Cider Company Apple Ginger	The Hills Cider Company
Class 12	Ice Cider or Perry	Small Acres Cyder 2015 Pomona Ice	Small Acres Cyder
Class 13	Pommeau	Small Acres Cyder 2010 Pommeau	Small Acres Cyder
Class 14	Apple or Pear Spirit	The Hills Cider Company	Adelaide Hills Distillery Virgin Apple Spirit

Cider producers from across Australia will gather in Melbourne this weekend to salute the winners of Australia’s largest and most prestigious cider show.

Industry peak body Cider Australia will host the 2017 Australian Cider Awards Dinner on Friday night at The Craft & Co in Collingwood.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid said the organisation is proud of its achievements over the past year and thankful to finally have clarity on its future and where it needs to focus its efforts.

“The sheer weight of activity in the cider sector is inspiring – Cider Australia is working with Wine Australia and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia on the recently announced cider program under the Export and Regional Wine Support Package to accelerate cider export capabilities, and with levy body Horticulture Innovation Australia to implement a 100% Australian juice certification scheme for cider”, said Mr Reid.

“In addition, we feel we have now really landed the message with stakeholders at all levels of Government of the benefits that are gained by regional communities around Australia when consumers choose ciders made from Australian grown fruit”.

“We have taken the opportunity to postpone our annual cider festival this year and will instead convene a much needed Cider Industry Forum on Saturday 28th October.”

The Cider Industry Forum, to be held at The Malthouse Theatre in Southbank, is a full day of industry development activities aimed at continuing to step-change the quality of ciders produced in Australia.

“The Forum will conclude with the inaugural Australian Cider Awards Exhibitor Tasting, and event that allows entrants to the Awards to taste up to 250 ciders and learn and will help to improve the quality of ciders produced locally”, Mr Reid said.

The Full Program for the Cider Industry Forum is below.

For further information and media queries contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson at office@cideraustralia.org.au or 0434 559 759.

Cider Australia’s Cider Industry Forum
Saturday 28th October 2017
The Malthouse Theatre, Southbank VIC

Full Program

9.15am	Welcome and introduction
9.30am	General Meeting of Cider Australia (Cider Australia Members only) – General business
10.10am	Morning tea
10.40am	– Export and Regional Wine Support Package update
11.00am	– Cider R&D
11.20am	– WET reform update – Australian Taxation Office
12pm	Lunch
1pm	Cider Producers Forum – Quality assurance in cider: Product stability and sterility
2.30pm	Australian Cider Awards Exhibitor Tasting (Awards entrants only)
4pm	Close

RSVPs essential – contact office@cideraustralia.org.au

Entries are flowing in to this year’s Australian Cider Awards as the call for participation extends to international producers.

Cider Australia hosts the largest and most prestigious cider competition in Australia, with the 2017 Awards promising to showcase the best of the best ciders available for sale in Australia.

Entries to the Awards close on Friday 1st September 2017.

The judging, undertaken blind and in accordance with detailed style specifications, will take place on 26th and 27th September in Melbourne.

Chief Steward of the Awards Nyall Condon, from the Bellarine Peninsula’s Flying Brick Cider Co, said the Awards is a prime opportunity for producers to see how their ciders stack up against the competition.

“We are aiming to boost international entries this year to further expand our horizons and keep the judges interested and on their toes”, said Mr Condon.

You can enter the 2017 Australian Cider Awards online via www.cideraustralia.org.au/awards

Winners of the awards will be announced at a gala dinner on the evening of Friday 27th October at The Craft & Co in Collingwood. Details are attached.

2017 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Mon 5 June
Entries Close	Fri 1 Sept
Deliver Entries	1 Sept – 15 Sept
Judging (closed to public)	Tue 26 and Wed 27 Sept
Awards Dinner	Fri 27 Oct
Australian Cider Festival	Sat 28 Oct

For more details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES ARE IN THE 2017 Awards Information & Style Guide. Media representatives are invited to visit the judging in central Melbourne, but this is closed to the public.