Recently awarded the James Busby Perpetual Trophy for Best NSW Wine at the 2022 Sydney Royal Wine Show, Lerida Estate's 2019 shiraz has continued to pull in awards since 2020.

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Lerida Estate general manager Andrew McFadzean said the wine was a product of hard work and teamwork.

"We've always been happy with the wines we've made but some independent endorsement is always welcomed," Mr McFadzean said.

"It's just encouraging to know the decisions you make and the efforts you put in make a difference to the final product."

Lerida Estate first entered the 2019 shiraz into the NSW Wine Awards in 2020 where it won Best Shiraz.

Due to the destruction of their crops during the 2020 bushfires, they entered the same wine in the 2021 competition and won again.

"To be able to put a wine in front of a dozen or so accomplished wine judges... and then to send it to them 12 months later and for them to taste it blind and go, 'that's a really delicious wine, it's the best one in NSW', it's super rewarding," Mr McFadzean said.

"Consistency means an awful lot in the wine show judging system because a wine can jag a trophy in one show and nothing in the next one, but to have it keep turning up really is an incredible result."

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Mr McFadzean said he had been working towards producing the best shiraz in the region since acquiring Lerida Estate in 2017. Previously the Estate was known particularly for its pinot noir.

Lerida Estate's 2019 shiraz viognier also received gold medal standard at the Sydney Royal Wine Show.

While the majority of their shiraz grapes are grown in Murrumbateman, the Canberra property is home to a "fruit salad" of pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling, pinot grigio, and a small amount of shiraz.

However, after bushfires and a pandemic, Mr McFadzean said the entire region had faced grape shortages.

"The last probably 12 months or so has been particularly tough because we haven't had inventory to sell," he said.

"Rebuilding is what we've been focused on during the last two vintages because the Canberra district lost 99 per cent of its fruit and it has been hard to get extra fruit to rebuild the inventory."

Mr McFadzean said it would be at least another three to four years before the Estate was back to where it was before.

"It's farming and we all know it comes with risks so you just put your boots on and get back out and start again," he said.

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Currently, Lerida Estate is open seven days a week and offers cellar door tastings, guided tastings and a restaurant.

"We're out here all the time ready and eager to meet people and talk about the thing we're most passionate about," Mr McFadzean said.

Regarding the award-winning 2019 shiraz, Mr McFadzean said supplies were running low.

"It's sort of like a little secret squirrel wine and we're not trying to sell it, we want the people who have found out about it or have already tried it to be able to get access to it," he said.

However, Mr McFadzean said he was equally excited about several 2022 wines, in particular Lerida Estate's pinot noir rosé and riesling.

"It was a cooler year but that's really fantastic for making white varieties and rosé, so it's been a great year for white wines in Canberra," he said.

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