Tamborine Mountain Distillery's Michael Ward has picked up another gong
THE Tamborine Mountain Distillery has taken out yet another prestigious award, being named the Asia-Pacific Spirits Producer of the Year.The family-owned distillery won the international award at China's biggest wine and spirits competition held in Hong Kong recently.
The owner of the Hinterland-based business, Michael Ward, said the awards attracted more than 5000 entries from around the world, with 100 judges from all major purchasing decision-makers in the growing Chinese market, including wine and spirit importers, distributors, wholesalers, restaurant group owners and sommeliers based in China.
"To enter the competition you pretty much send over your wine and spirit products and just pray to God they like them," Mr Ward said.
"When it comes to these kinds of competitions, money doesn't matter. The big multinationals can't buy a win as the judges have blind tastings and decide from there.
"It's an equal playing field and gives little businesses a go at getting our name out there and proving we are among the best in the world at what we do.
"One of our wines, the Wild Forrest Plum, is made from Davidson plums, which grow in the rainforest down at Cudgen just over the border.
"The fruit grows on the trunk of the tree and is quite amazing. It makes a wonderful liquor and was one of our winners at the competition."
Mr Ward said his distillery was able to survive bouts of bad weather and slumps in tourism by diversifying into wholesale around the country and exporting overseas to Singapore.
"Our products are currently being tested to enter the Japanese market and we're also looking into exporting to China and New Zealand later this year," he said.
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