South Australian winemaker Jim Markeas has taken first prize at the 43rd Riverland Wine Show in South Australia.
The annual event took place in Renmark, where 350 participants took part in vying for the top title.
Mallee Estate Wine, run by Jim and his brother Arthur, have been participating in wine competitions since 2010, both in Australia and abroad, receiving high ratings time and time again.
Exporting to the United States and China, the brand’s most popular varieties include the Mallee Estate shiraz, cabernet and sauvignon blanc, along with the ever-popular favourite P&E Markeas Shiraz – named with the initials of Jim’s parents and founders of the winery, Peter and Eleni.
Originating from Kardamili, Messinia, the Markeas family settled in SA’s temperate Murray River region in 1968 and founded the winery one year later.
“My father knew how to cultivate the land. He planted olives and potatoes when he arrived in Australia and his dream was to cultivate fruits and grapes,” says Jim, the youngest member of the family brand.
In 1988 the family invested in a larger piece of land and Jim went on to pursue his studies in oenology (the study of wine and winemaking) at Adelaide University.
With Arthur, the pair managed to convert their family vineyards into a thriving and widely-recognised business.
Since 2005 the site has been opened to wine enthusiasts who can enjoy the numerous wines in what has been named ‘The Tavern’, recreating the sentiment of balmy Greek summer days.