Well known family winery McWilliam’s has recently taken home a number of awards from the International Wine Challenge in London, where their 1877 Hilltops Shiraz from the 2014 vintage was named Australia’s best Shiraz.

“There were wines from all over the world at the show, there were 10,000 entries,” wine making manager Bryan Currie said.

“The Shiraz which we made here in Hanwood won best in its region, which is the Hilltops region where the grapes were grown.

“Then it won best NSW Shiraz out of all the NSW regions and it went on to win best Australian Shiraz which was massive.”

Premium wine maker Andrew Higgins said the win had been an unexpected surprise for those involved.

“The awards only go up to the national level, there is no best Shiraz in the world section – but we think we might have been in with a chance,” he laughed.

“While we were very confident in the quality of the wine, it’s our flagship Shiraz, we didn’t imagine that it would achieve that.”

Mr Currie said everyone at McWilliam’s had been amazed with the win considering the fierce competition they had been up against.

“The Hilltops region has actually been around for quite a long time but it doesn't have a massive reputation,” he said.

“It was a big deal for us, there were lots of other regions around Australia who were in that show and to be considered the best Shiraz wine in Australia, that’s pretty amazing. When we made it we wanted it to win this, but you have all the best plans in the world and you never expect for them to actually happen.”

Mr Higgins said with a maturing wine industry there had been a shift towards more versatile wines that could be matched with lots of foods.  

“The thing about it that is really exciting is this is not a massive wine and it’s not like a lot of the show-shopping Shiraz in the past, which have been really intense in your mouth,” he said.

“This wine is what we call a ‘primary’, it’s all about fruit flavours and freshness, there are violets and florals - it’s a really good wine.

“The whole wine sector is changing it’s more about wines that are versatile and can be matched with lots of foods.”

And the secret to the best Shiraz in Australia?

“I think it’s just good fruit,” Mr Currie laughed . “The year 2014 was a really amazing vintage in Hilltops, personally I think the 2014 Shiraz was the best I have ever seen from Hilltops in my career as a winemaker which goes back to 1998.”

Mr Currie said the sixth-generation family winery would be focusing on the NSW region into the future. 

“We are a pioneering winery in NSW, and we will be focusing on our flagship wines and on making the best wines possible from areas in NSW,” he said.

Despite its new lofty title as Australia’s best Shiraz the wine is not unaffordable, at $80 a bottle it can be purchased from the McWilliam’s cellar door or online.