Alcohol allergy no barrier to making top wine

A Riverina winemaker who does not drink alcohol has created the New South Wales Wine of the Year for 2005.

At a ceremony in Sydney last night, West End Estate Wines from Griffith, in southern NSW, won the honour for its $12 bottle of 2004 shiraz.

The man who created the winning drop, Bill Calabria, is allergic to alcohol but his technique has not let him down.

"I nose the wines a lot and I pick up the faults that are in there or the fruit I'm looking for and then when I do taste, I taste and I spit out," he said.

"It's okay while I'm doing blends. If I'm not doing too many at once, what I do is I drink a lot of water in between."

Mr Calabria has welcomed news the Riverina wine and other top drops from the state will be served in future at State Parliament.

"I'd say it's not before time. It's taken them quite a while to realise what's in our backyard," he said.