Behind the Scenes of the Sydney Royal Wine Show with Angus Barnes

Wine with Meg + Mel

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Angus Barnes, Chair of the Sydney Royal Wine Show, shares insider perspectives on Australia's premier wine competition and his journey through the wine industry.
• Born in the Hunter Valley, Angus fell in love with wine while backpacking through Europe
• His extensive career spans roles at Pernod Ricard, NSW Wine, Wine Communicators Australia, and now Bunamagoo Estate Wines
• The Sydney Royal Wine Show judged 1,550 wine samples and poured over 15,000 glasses during the competition
• This year's Wine of Show winner was a $27 Abbeville Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River
• Chardonnay dominated the gold medals with 12 awarded across different regions
• Margaret River showed exceptional form with gold medals across multiple varieties
• The wine show process maintains integrity through blind tastings and strict conflict of interest protocols
• Judges are selected with diversity in mind, balancing technical expertise with stylistic perspectives
• The Grape, Grain & Graze Festival on September 20th offers consumers the chance to taste all competition wines
• The RAS supports industry development through scholarships for nine emerging wine professionals each year
Join us at the Grape, Grain & Graze Festival on September 20th to taste these award-winning wines yourself! Enter our competition on Instagram by following @winewithmeganmal and @royalagricultural_nsw and tagging who you'd bring along.
Follow us on instagram @winewithmegandmel

Chapters

1. Meet Angus Barnes, Wine Show Chair (00:00:00)

2. Wine Dream: Opening a Vineyard (00:06:28)

3. Role of a Wine Show Chair Explained (00:09:53)

4. Sydney Royal Wine Show Highlights (00:17:18)

5. Balancing Tradition and Innovation (00:22:08)

6. How Wine Shows Maintain Integrity (00:26:53)

7. Sustainability in Wine Shows (00:32:56)

8. Grape, Grain & Graze Festival Preview (00:37:33)