Anyone seeking advice concerning what sort of wine to include in gift hampers may have to look no further than this year's Sydney International Wine Competition.

The results of the prestigious contest were revealed during a ceremony at the Shangri La Hotel Sydney.

According to director of the event Warren Mason, it provides consumers with a realistic guide for matching appropriate wines with diverse culinary creations.

He added: "The competition's main aim is to encourage consumers to make up their own minds about which wines to choose."

The comments made by judges show that people all have slightly difference palates and perceptions when it comes to the grape-based beverage, he noted.

Among the notable examples of high-quality beverage being entered into the competition was Peter and Margaret Lehmann's Margaret Barossa Semillon 2004.

One popular accompaniment to wine is cheese, meaning the two could make ideal products for gift hampers.

French chef Raymond Blanc recently praised the UK's offerings of fromage, pointing to Mrs Bell's Blue in Yorkshire as something "quite special".