48th Riverina Wine Show judging to commence at Yenda Memorial Hall

There will be 15 judges, one chairperson and three panels sampling over 600 entries - 200 per panel - across two and a half days early next week in Yenda for the build-up of the major event.

Three shows will occur this year, including an open, Australian Italian varieties, sweet wine challenge, Riverina GI and Tumbarumba GI.

"One of the interesting parts about this year's judging is the results will be collated and recorded electronically. It makes it a lot easier, to the point where you would wonder how it was ever done manually in the past," wine show manager Carrah Lymer said.

"The judges score will also go into a computer to help determine the final result."

However, preparations for judging are not done with such ease, with Ms Lymer saying setting up for the event has taken several days of meticulous effort .

"Everything has to be in the exact right place, otherwise the system falls over. That means we're checking over and over to ensure our wines are in the correct order and labelled accurately," she said.

An awards dinner will be held a fortnight after judging has wrapped and although it has been traditionally held in Yenda, this year's will have a change of scenery.

"For the first time they will happen at the Whitton Malt House, where the lucky winners will receive their trophies. I think having it there is a good way to mix things up.

"It's also where we will award our annual Riverina Legends Award which acknowledges those who have made invaluable contributions to the industry. Previous winners include Bill Calabria along with Keith and Jim McWilliam as well as Bruno Brombal.

"Without everyone's support, this is something that couldn't happen and we thank everyone for their efforts this year. The event is great way for people to meet others in the industry from other regions and see how these shows are run," she said.

The Riverina Wine Show Awards Dinner will be held from 6pm September 22 at the Whitton Malt House.