REIGNING Champion Winemaker of the Ipswich Show, Garvan Cannon, is returning to the drawing board after falling just short of securing a third consecutive title.
Mr Cannon, a passionate mead maker and member of the Western Suburbs Amateur Winemakers Guild, was gracious in defeat, having claimed the top prize in both 2023 and 2024.
“In the end, I received some silvers and two bronze,” he said. “The winner this year has entered for a long time – it might have even been her first time winning.”
Despite the result, Mr Cannon saidd he was far from disheartened.
“We had a huge increase in entries this year, so I was proud just to be part of it,” he said.
“If anything, it’ll motivate me to get back in the brew lab and try harder next year.”
Already, Mr Cannon is planning for 2026 – although he’s keeping his ideas under wraps.
“I don’t want to give away all my secrets,” he laughed. “But I’ve got a few projects that weren’t quite ready for this year and will be perfect for next time.”
Mr Cannon’s journey into winemaking began just five years ago, sparked by a surplus of honey from his backyard beekeeping. That curiosity soon grew into a full-fledged obsession with mead – one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages.
It was a chance conversation at the Ipswich Show that nudged him into entering his first competition.
“Members of the winemakers guild encouraged me to take the leap,” he said.
“Now I’ve got over 80 fruit trees at home and love turning my homegrown produce into different wines.”
His philosophy is simple: keep it local, keep it sustainable.
“I pride myself on sourcing everything from home – the only thing I buy is the yeast.”
Winning back-to-back Champion Winemaker titles at the Ipswich Show remains a career highlight.
With some meads requiring five years or more to mature, Mr Cannon said patience was the biggest virtue in the process.
Looking ahead, he hopes to turn his hobby into a livelihood.
“If anyone wants to sponsor me and help make that a reality, I’d jump at it in a heartbeat,” he said. “I just love the process – and knowing everything I use is home-grown, sustainably sourced, and made with love.”
