Sacha La Forgia of Adelaide Hills Distillery is stoked.

From 250 entrants, the judging panel at Young Gun of Wine last week announced its national Top 50, from which the winners will be picked later in the year.

South Australia has made up the largest contingency of the 50, with 19 representatives from around the state across 21 different labels: Lambrook, Golden Child, Hersey Vineyard, Howard Vineyard, Turon, Sanglier, Spider Bill, Cooke Brothers, Whistler, Naked Run, Place in Time, Koerner, Redman, Switch, Cuvée Co., Year, Bergherring, Norfolk Rise, Aunt Alice, and Dune.

While you might expect to see our top calibre in South Australian wine among the finalists, there is one curious stand out – Sacha La Forgia from Adelaide Hills Distillery.

Supplied image of chuffed distiller, Sacha La Forgia.

“How good is that?” Sacha laughs.

Best known for his work in the spirits industry, Sacha entered Adelaide Hills Distillery’s Rosé and Dry Vermouth for contention and was chuffed at the result.

“It’s a pretty underrepresented category, so we’re just happy for the attention,” he says.

Perhaps best understood for its use in cocktails (most importantly, in the CityMag go-to – Negroni), Vermouth is a fortified white wine, making it eligible for the 22-year-old wine industry award.

Adelaide Hills Distillery’s Rosé Vermouth features a “40/60 Torino blend and carefully selected Australian native botanicals,” while the Dry Vermouth leans more on a “modern blend of Torino inspired roots, herbs, spices.”

The Young Gun of Wine Final 12 shortlist will be announced in late April, with the ultimate winners to be awarded at an event in Adelaide in June. See the full Top 50 list at the link.