West Australian wine lovers have spoken! After more than 20-thousand votes, the Top Up Wines Top 100 has been revealed with Ampersand Estates Pinot Noir named WA’s favourite drop.
The Pemberton winery’s juicy yet delicate pinot noir topped the popular vote, closely followed by Stella Bella Luminosa Cabernet Sauvignon, Cherubino Ad Hoc Nitty Gritty Pinot Grigio, Cullen Diana Madeline and LS Merchants Vermentino.
Top Up Wines founder Jamie Burnett says he was blown away by the response from local wine lovers.
“To see so many people vote to support their favourite wineries is amazing. When we turned voting on, we had no idea what results would come. That was the fun of it. I’m stoked to see such a diverse list of wines and wineries make the Top Up Wines Top 100.
“Top Up is all about celebrating WA wine, but in a different way. We’ve undone the top button (or two) and mixed it up. We want to give wine lovers a seat at the table and find out what they’re pouring. It was amazing to connect people to industry, celebrate the ones we love and find some new favourites along the way,” says Jamie.
Launching in late February, Top Up Wines is the first-ever people’s choice wine awards. More than 1600 wines attracted votes, with 55 wineries making the coveted top 100 list. Stella Bella Wines earned the most inclusions in the top 100 with six, followed by Cherubino Wines with five, and LS Merchants and Singlefile Wines with four.
Chardonnay was voted the state’s favourite wine style, with cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir behind it. Outside of that, diversity in style was across the board with Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Orange, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Rose, Shiraz, Riesling, Malbec, Merlot and Pet Nat all making the cut.
Wines of Western Australia CEO Larry Jorgensen says the new people’s choice format has proved to be a success.
“We are excited to see the results of the inaugural Top Up Wine Awards. With a focus on WA consumers these awards will reveal their old favourites and new styles. With entries nominating producers from across all nine Western Australian wine regions, these awards truly are focused on our local heroes,” says Larry.
Along with Jamie Burnett, Top Up Wines was brought to life by industry veteran Scott Spalding and former AFL premiership player turned wine aficionado Chris Masten.
“I loved Top Up was focussed on people. That’s what wine is all about, celebrating good times with good wines. You don’t have to be an expert, you just have to like what you like. This public vote leaned right into that and the results have no doubt surprised a few across the board,” says Chris.
The results were announced at H&C Urban Winery Fremantle. Top Up Wines is proudly supported by Cellarbrations, Brownes Dairy, MINI, Husky and Wines of Western Australia.