The vigneron picked up four wins including best wine, best white wine and best chardonnay for its 2011 Ross Hill Pinnacle Chardonnay.

Ross Hill also picked up a judges’ encouragement award for  2011 Ross Hill Pinnacle Shiraz.

Cargo Road Wines, Carillion Wines and Moody’s Wines also picked up two trophies each.

Judging took place over two days at the Orange Agricultural Centre, with 244 entries.

While the number is down on last year’s record of 282 entries, official master of wine and judge Toni Paterson said wines from the Orange region get better every year.

“There were some beautiful wines [last year], but this year is a step above,” she said.

 Ms Paterson and the three other judges sampled 27  shiraz wines.

“The shiraz is magnificent ... they’re well made wines,” she said.

“Chardonnay and shiraz have been the standouts.

“Both varieties show themselves very well in a cooler climate and are also varieties a winemaker can have a good influence over.”

Ms Paterson said the wine show is a good opportunity for vignerons to get feedback on their wines.

Judges were master of wine and head judge Toni Paterson, Punt Road Wines senior winemaker Kate Goodman, Wine Making in Tasmania’s Tom Ravech and Cumulus Wines winemaker and associate judge Matthew Atallah.

Orange Wine Week started last night with the Orange Wine Show presentation dinner at Ross Hill Winery.

Come along to the Orange Wine Show Tasting tonight  at the Orange Showground to sample all the varieties that were judged in this year’s show.

The event begins at 5.30pm, with an entry fee of $45.