Over three days, 16 judges put 904 wines through their paces, before awarding 65 wines a medal.

Among the Riverina's winners were Calabria Family Wines, De Bortoli Wines, Lillypilly, McWilliam's Wines and Trimboli Family Wines.

"The calibre of our judges and the rigorous procedures means that each awarded wine really is worth the medal it receives," judging panel chairman Dave Brookes said.

"One of the great pleasures of chairing the NSW Wine Awards is the robust discussions that surround the call-backs and taste-offs and this year, the Shiraz and Semillon classes, two of the great noble grape varieties of our state, were very strong, highlighting the diversity of style and the great vineyard sites of our famous wine regions.

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Mr Brookes said the current alternative red varities was another highlight for judges.

"The medals these wines collected shine a light on varieties that probably need to be retitled 'appropriate' varieties rather than 'alternative', as they are well suited to their climate and region and are very much the future of NSW wine," he said.

The 65 gold medal winning wines have been entered in the next stage of the NSW Wine Awards, with trophies to be presented on October 23 during a presentation lunch.