ICC SYD CELLAR DOOR

INTERNATIONAL Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney has become a cellar door to the world since it opened, NSW Wine Industry Association President, Mark Bourne, believes.

Speaking after representatives from the ICC Sydney attended 2019 Hunter Valley Wine Show, Bourne said the venue has helped to put the region on the map for wine drinkers.

“Since opening in Dec 2016, ICC Sydney has quickly become a cellar door to the world, and it’s having a noticeable impact, particularly for boutique labels,” he said.

“With the venue’s backing, we’ve seen a considerable life in NSW source wines in Sydney restaurant cellars.

“It’s brilliant to see others are now following ICC Sydney’s lead.”

The venue’s Beverage Operations and Cellar Manager, William Wilson, said Hunter Valley wines were becoming increasingly popular with delegates, accounting for almost a third of the wine consumed at the venue since it opened.

“The calibre of wines at this year’s show demonstrates that the Hunter continues to deliver its own unique style with quality that is on par with any other region in Australia,” Wilson said.

“I was delighted to see that most of the Hunter Valley wines already on our list picked up medals.

“We are proud to already support 12 Hunter-based wineries and this trip was a great opportunity to discover other great wines from the region.”

ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy, said the trip to the wine show had been a good opportunity to meet with producers.

“92% of our wine collection is sourced from NSW, which wouldn’t be complete without the wines from this important and historic wine region,” he said.

“We’ve come away from the Hunter Valley Wine Show with deeper relations and the inspiration needed to expand our existing list of NSW wines, which we’ll be launching later this year in line with our new 2020 culinary menu.”