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Enjoy Australia's Brilliant Cool Climate Wines While They Last

Climate change threatens to cut down an industry that's thriving.
Cool climate wineries in Australia are thriving for now.
Getty Images
Cool climate wineries in Australia are thriving for now.

While wineries celebrated new varieties and stellar seasons at the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show on Saturday morning, there was also a slight chill in the air.

Chief judge Adrian Marchioro told The Huffington Post Australia cool climate wine growers were uncertain about the future.

"I think people are striving and planting and looking to future and recognise we really need look at climate change affecting some regions.

"I imagine in the coming years some cool climate regions will not continue to be so."

Indeed the not-for-profit Climate Council predicts Australian-grown cool climate wine will be a rare luxury in the future as growing regions become warmer.

This year, however Marchioro said Australia's regions had brilliant seasons.

Murrumbateman wine maker Ken Helm took out the top gong at the Australian Cool Climate Wine Awards.
Lannon Harley / Fairfax Media
Murrumbateman wine maker Ken Helm took out the top gong at the Australian Cool Climate Wine Awards.

"The 2015 and 2016 vintages were exceptional," Marchioro told HuffPost Australia.

"It's the strongest show we've seen as far as quality right across the board. It makes our job harder because we're judging 561 wines and they're all of a high quality."

He said cool climate wineries were also experimenting with rare varieties producing stunning alternatives to riesling and pinot noir.

"We're seeing more varieties and a couple we've not seen before like blaufränkisch and also Austrian wine gruner vetliner," he said.

"Demand for them is growing. Blaufränkisch is a pinot weighted wine in the lighter scale of red but it's a little bit more spicy and a little bit more fruit forward.

"Gruner vetliner is a simple wine most close to riesling but more floral."

The overall winner at the Murrumbateman event was 2016 Helm Wines Central Ranges Riesling.

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