How Three Trophies at the 1963 Sydney Royal Wine Show Put Rouge Homme on the Map

This year marks 200 remarkable years since wine was first included in the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW‘s Sydney Royal Wine Show. In 1826, during its fourth annual agricultural exhibition, the Agricultural Society of NSW offered a small gold medal for the best sample of colonial wine, not less than 10 gallons, certified on oath to be from that year’s vintage. By 1828, there were four classes for wine, despite the colony having only a handful of serious growers. The show system had started small, but it was gaining momentum.

Whether it’s a capital city wine show or a regional show like the Limestone Coast Wine Show, there’s no doubt that, over time, Australian wine shows have helped to shape the quality and narrative around Australian wine.

As the results from the 2026 Sydney Royal Show are released this week, it’s worth reflecting on how important those trophies and gold medals have been in bringing new wines to light. Participating in the shows has allowed us to benchmark against our peers, gain valuable feedback and, importantly develop many friendships with peers across Australia.

The Early Shows: 1947 Adelaide Wine Show

In the late 1940s, the Redman family entered their first show. Owen Redman travelled to Adelaide with a claret produced from the family’s own 40 acres. It won first prize in the claret section, even though there were only seven entries. That show was the family’s first real contact with the wider Australian wine community. Hardly anyone had heard the Redman name before then.

Rudi Buring, brother of Leo and one of our best-known wine men, introduced Owen Redman to the judges. From 1947 on, not a year went by without a Redman wine winning a prize somewhere at an Australian show.

In an interview with Owen Redman, he noted “As I was standing there on my own, Leo Buring, who at that time the President of the wine section, came up to me and said “What is your name lad?” and I said, ‘I’m Owen Redman.” Leo exclaimed “Oh, you are the maker of that very nice red wine in the claret section, do you know anybody?” I said “No, I don’t.” He said, “Where do you come from?” I said “Coonawarra.”  Leo looked knowingly and remarked, “Oh, that’s where Tony Neilson is.” He then took me along and introduced me to all the other entrants in the wine show, as Owen Redman the maker of the fine red claret and mentioned the fact that we did come from Coonawarra.” 

In 1951, the Redman winery was visited by Rudy Komon, the distinguished wine judge. He upbraided Bill Redman upon discovering there was no wine to taste; it had been the family’s habit until then to send all their wine to Woodleys. On Mr Komon’s advice, they began keeping some wine back for visitors to the winery, and Rouge Homme was born.

The 1959 Rouge Homme wine that put Coonawarra on the map

It was the 1959 Rouge Homme Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, though, that really put our Coonawarra wine region, and the Redman family, firmly on the national stage. At the 1963 Sydney Wine Show, the Rouge Homme won Champion Claret, picking up a swag of trophies along the way, several of which are still on display at our Coonawarra winery. That 1959 vintage won:

• The Dr Gilbert Phillips Memorial Trophy for the best table wine
• The John Dynon and Sons Centenary Prize for the most outstanding still wine
• The Arthur Kelman Memorial Medal for Champion Claret

This was a record because, as far as we can ascertain, it was the first time one wine had won all these prestigious trophies at the same show.

In an interview with Owen Redman after the 1963 Sydney Royal Wine Show he noted “I can remember Max Schubert from Penfolds coming down to Coonawarra just after the show and saying to us what a waste of a lot of trophies it was because we had beaten his Grange Hermitage by a few points and they could have made a terrific amount of advertising out of all the trophies that we had won.” Yet there was not much wine to be sold. It firmly had put Rouge Homme into the spotlight though.

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW archives offer a glimpse into that 1963 show through a press release from the time:

“The high quality of Australian wines and spirits was praised after the judging and presentation of prizes for the 1963 Sydney Championship Wine Show. The show was held in conjunction with the wine and spirits section of the Royal Easter Show.

Entries were the second highest on record, and the five wine judges took four and a half days to complete their task. The chairman of the wine judges, Mr George Fairbrother of South Australia, said the standard of entries was ‘very, very high’.

He said there had been tremendous improvement during the post-war years in the quality of Australian wines. The chairman of the spirits section, Mr C.H. Doyle of Sydney, praised the ‘exceptional’ quality of the championship awards, saying they were a credit to the Australian industry.

At a Showground dinner following the presentation of prizes, the president of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, Mr E.S. Playfair, said the wine industry was now the nation’s fourth-largest industry. He said the RAS felt it was doing a national job by staging competitive shows at which exhibitors could compare their own entries with the winning ones.

A total of 749 entries were received for the 37 classes for wines and brandy, and for the 27 classes for spirits. This total compares with the 1959 record of 839, and is 73 higher than for the 1962 show.” History in the making.

Some of those very early Rouge Homme vintages, along with vintages made while under Lindeman’s and Southcorp ownership, are now back in the hands of the Redman family. They are being tasted again for the first time in decades. The first chance to purchase will be the weekend of 23-24 October 2026 at the Redman Cellar Door in Coonawarra. Put the date in your diary and prepare for some treasures from the past to be uncovered.

Read more on the Rouge Homme story: Rouge Homme | The History of Rouge Homme