While Clonakilla's Tim Kirk admits he flies "cattle class", at least his wines have been upgraded.
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The winery's 2022 Hilltops shiraz just won a gold medal for Qantas in the Best business class red category in the recent Business Travellers' Cellars in the Sky Awards.
"Amazingly, we have actually won best first class red in Cellars in the Sky three times in the past, twice for Qantas with the shiraz viognier and more recently for Singapore Airlines with the O'Riada shiraz," Kirk said.
"This is our first win in the business class category."
Qantas won nine gold medals overall. Thirty airlines from around the world entered the awards. The competition is open to any carrier that serves wine in business or first class on mid- or long-haul routes. Each airline is invited to enter two reds, two whites, a rose, a sparkling, and a fortified or dessert wine from both cabins.
Women in wine I
To celebrate International Women's Day, head to QT Canberra for Uncorked, a three-course dinner paired with wines from the leading female winemakers in the region.
Sommelier Ashleigh Smith will showcase wines from Sapling Yard, Intrepidus, Collector Wines and Four Winds Vineyard.
A portion of the proceeds from the night will be donated to Karinya House. March 8, 6pm. Capitol Bar and Grill, QT Canberra. Tickets $129pp via qthotels.com
Women in wine II
And while we're talking about women in wine, keep an ear out for a new podcast from Winederlust's Jeanene Kennedy. She's spoken to a dozen women working in Canberra's wine industry and the broader hospitality and tourism industries.
Each episode focuses on one occupation, whether that be a winemaker, a cellar door manager, a tour guide or a restaurant manager.
"I loved making this series so much and having the opportunity to meet such a range of amazing women," says Kennedy.
"We also talked about the best parts of each job, but also the difficult and challenging parts."
The seven-part series will drop daily from International Women's Day, March 8, on all major podcast platforms.
The ACT Office for Women supported the development and production of this podcast series.