One of Mudgees pioneering wineries has won the inaugural award for Best NSW Organic Wine, at the NSW Wine Industry Awards last night.

Thistle Hills 2009 Riesling was awarded the title after beating a field of 34 organic wines from 10 wineries across NSW.

Barry Buffier, Deputy Director-General, Industry & Investment NSW, presented the award at a presentation dinner in Sydney, last night.

"The organic wine industry is becoming increasingly popular and successful, and were seeing a boom in the number of wineries going organic," Mr Buffier said.

"But Thistle Hill, in Mudgee has been at the forefront of the industry, growing grapes organically for more than 30 years, making it one of the oldest organic wine labels in Australia.

"The Thistle Hill 2009 Riesling, which retails for $30 a bottle, was a step ahead of its competitors.

"Thistle Hill has been producing organic wines since 1993, and is a certified Grade-A organic wine producer with the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture.

"It is now one of Australia's best-loved organic wineries and a respected brand around the world, exporting to several international wine-loving regions."

Thistle Hills 2009 Riesling is already well regarded, winning the coveted trophy for the Best Wine of the Show and the trophy for the Best White Wine at the 2009 Australia-New Zealand Organic Wine Show, in June this year.

"Organic wines have to meet strict guidelines, which means that no harmful chemicals are used in the vineyard or the winemaking process," Mr Buffier said.

"This is the first time the Best NSW Organic Wine has been included in the NSW Wine Awards, but the success of the award and the high quality of the wines on offer means the organic industry is slowly but surely creating its own identity."

The NSW Wine Awards were created in 1996 to build awareness of the quality of wines produced in NSW.

The awards have become an indicator of the growth and diversity of our states industry, and recognises the potential of new regions within NSW.

Judges of the NSW Wine Awards taste wines of similar style regardless of the size of the producer, allowing large and small wineries to compete against each other.

Media contact: Tom Braz 0428 256 596