The 22nd Canberra International Riesling Challenge evaluated around 370 wines from 154 wineries, reports wine columnist RICHARD CALVER. 

TO start with a cliché: a week is a long time in politics. As well, it’s a long time for a wine event to unfold. 

But with around 370 wines from 154 wineries to evaluate and then pick winners that time is needed. The 22nd Canberra International Riesling Challenge was held last month and I attended the opening event and the awards night. 

And speaking of politics, Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced the renewal of the ACT government’s sponsorship for the event for a further three years. We, the taxpayers of the ACT, are the main sponsors.

The idea for the Challenge was developed in 1999 by Ken Helm, of Helm Wines, who has just completed his 47th vintage and has been winemaking for 50 years. 

When the 21st Challenge resumed in 2022, after its resurrection from the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Ken was one of the originators of a new system of awarding medals. Instead of gold, silver and bronze medals, the wines are given a designation based on the internationally recognised 100-point scale as follows:

Elite                  – 95+ points
Excellent           – 93-94 points
Premium           – 90-92 points
Recommended  – 85-89 points

This scale is intended to give consumers more information about successful wines in particular without, for example, sending a signal that a “bronze” medal winner is third class. I’m not sure that it’s been market tested but it adds another unique element to the Challenge. 

When I spoke to Ken on the phone, he was lamenting a devastating frost where he lost over 65 per cent of his riesling grapes, a frost that hit on October 17 after the Challenge had packed up. 

While he expressed his dismay at this weather event, his natural resilience came through: he emphasised that the quality of the wines from the Canberra District would mean they kept on selling and that the affected wineries would bounce back. 

At the beginning of the Challenge week, he had announced that he was retiring from the Challenge but not from winemaking. I asked him why he was leaving the Challenge that he has helped build over many years and he said: “I’m 78 and you’ve got to know when its time to leave. 

“The Challenge needs to be taken to the next stage. Winemakers have got to get more out of it. The Challenge has always been very innovative, including with the new descriptions, and a young enthusiastic person should be there in my place. 

“I’ll sit on the sidelines and look on in interest. It must grow. It has to look at what it can offer people rather than just awards, for example helping the wineries promote in overseas markets by way of roadshows, selling more wine.” 

At the Challenge Awards night, I spoke with Stephanie Helm and her partner Ben Osborne. Stephanie has taken a leaf (well more like several chapters) out of her father’s book and has established a winery with Ben in Murrumbateman. She also makes riesling, carrying on the Helm tradition. 

I said to Steph: “Where’s your dad tonight?”

“Not here! He’s babysitting the grandkids,” she replied.

 Then we had to be quiet as the Elite wines, the best in class, were announced. In a testament to the skills that Ken has passed on to Stephanie, the Vintner’s Daughter Semi-sweet 2023 Riesling won the best in class for the Canberra District. 

The maths teacher taught his class how to use a protractor, with varying degrees of success.