Have you ever wondered what that little gold sticker on your bottle of wine represents? Or what winning a Jimmy Watson Trophy actually means? The wine show circuit has long been an important part of the Australian wine industry - in fact, it dates back more than 100 years.

Here are some of the big names of the Australian show circuit:

Jimmy Watson Trophy
Awarded for the best one-year-old red wine at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show, the Jimmy Watson Trophy was established in 1962 by the friends of the late Jimmy Watson in recognition of his services to the wine industry. Through his famous Carlton wine bar in Melbourne, Jimmy introduced thousands of his loyal customers to the joys of fine wine. At times controversial, the Jimmy Watson Trophy is Australia’s most coveted wine award.

Max Schubert Trophy
The Max Schubert Trophy is named in honour of the creator of Penfolds Grange and is awarded to the best table wine in all consumer classes at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show.

Len Evans Trophy
The Len Evans Trophy is awarded to the Best Table Wine of the Show at the National Wine Show. Len Evans is a well known as a wine producer, wine judge and long time promoter of the Australian wine industry worldwide.

Great Australian Shiraz Challenge
The Great Australian Shiraz Challenge was launched in 1995 by winemakers of Victoria’s Goulburn Valley region as a means of promoting shiraz as Australia’s ‘quintessential red wine’. It is Australia’s richest prize pool for any wine competition.

Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide’s “Wine of the Year”
The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide is written and judged by Huon Hooke (Sydney Morning Herald/The Age) and Ralph Kyte-Powell (The Age) and considered the “bible” for keen consumers of Australian and New Zealand wines. The “Wine of the Year” accolade is one of Australia’s most prestigious awards.