Is there anything better than discovering a new favourite? Whether it’s a new restaurant, recipe, or television show, it’s always fun to find a new go-to. For me, I adore discovering a new-to-me winery. Whenever I’m planning a trip around Australia, I inevitably factor in the most interesting wineries in the area.
To find new favourites, I of course ask my wine friends and colleagues, but I also consult the experts. The most prestigious wine tasting team in Australia is none other than the Halliday Wine Companion tasting team. And those terrific tasters, one of whom is the fabulous Shanteh Wale, have just released the winners of the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards!
Among the shortlist were micro-wineries (some one-person operations on the list), vignerons from lesser-known regions, and of course, some old favourites. And, just a month after The Real Review crowned Yarra Yering as Australia’s top winery, Halliday Wine Companion has placed its vineyard manager, Andrew George, in its shortlist for Viticulturist of the Year.
The Best New Winery category is always a great one, as intrepid winemakers are making their mark on the Australian wine world. Among the nominees is Foreign Friends. This Victorian winery is led by three women, two sisters, Leila and Crystal Davis, along with their friend Juliette Menneteau. Each of their cuvées is named for the women and friends who inspire them.
This year the Halliday Wine Companion Awards made plenty of firsts. A Queensland Winery has taken a major trophy for the first time in the competition’s history. Tasmania is home to two of the best wineries on the list.
For the full list head to the Halliday website.
2027 Halliday Wine Companion Award Winners
Winery of the Year: House of Arras, TAS
- Shortlist:
- Bekkers (McLaren Vale, SA)
- Forest Hill Vineyard (Great Southern, WA)
- House of Arras (TAS)
- Koomilya (McLaren Vale, SA)
- Oakridge (Yarra Valley, VIC)
- Sami-Odi (Barossa Valley, SA) – which won Best New Winery at the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Awards.
- Tolpuddle (TAS)
- Yerringberg (Yarra Valley, VIC)
Winemaker of the Year: Steve Flamsteed, Decades, TAS | Salo, VIC | Eldridge Estate, VIC
Shortlist:
- Adrian Sparks | Mount Pleasant (Hunter Valley, NSW)
- Drew Tuckwell | Printhie (Orange, NSW)
- Kerri Thompson | Skillogalee, Wines by KT (Clare Valley, SA)
- Mark Walpole | Fighting Gully Road (Beechworth, VIC)
- Michael Downer | Murdoch Hill (Adelaide Hills, SA)
- Renae Hirsch | Willunga 100 (McLaren Vale, SA)
- Rohan Smith | Medhurst (Yarra Valley, VIC)
- Steve Flamsteed | Decades | Salo (TAS and Yarra Valley, VIC)
Viticulturist of the Year: Ashley Ratcliff, Ricca Terra, SA
Shortlist:
- Adrian Hoffmann (Barossa Valley, SA)
- Andrew George, Yarra Yering (Yarra Valley, SA) – His winery was just named Australia’s best in The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia.
- Ashley Ratcliff, Ricca Terra (Riverland, SA)
- Ben Thomson, Best’s (Grampians, VIC)
- Louise Eather | Tyrrells (Hunter Valley, NSW) – Tyrells was number one on the Halliday Wine Companion’s Top 100 Wineries in 2024.
- Richard Wellsmore, Maxwell Wines (McLaren Vale, SA)
- Ross Pike, Forest Hill Vineyards (Great Southern, WA)
Best Value Winery: Medhurst, Yarra Valley, VIC
Shortlist:
- Evans & Tate (Margaret River, WA)
- Medhurst (Yarra Valley, VIC)
- Ministry of Clouds (McLaren Vale, SA)
- MMAD (McLaren Vale, SA)
- Thomas Wines (Hunter Valley, NSW)
- Wirra Wirra Vineyards (McLaren Vale, SA)
Best New Winery: Decades, TAS
Shortlist:
- Decades (TAS)
- Fervor (Great Southern, WA)
- Foreign Friends (Beechworth, VIC)
- L’Anima (McLaren Vale, SA)
- S. Caica (McLaren Vale, SA)
- Thunderstone (Porongurup, WA)
Dark Horse Winery: Balancing Heart, Granite Belt, QLD
Shortlist:
- Balancing Heart (Granite Belt, QLD)
- Black & Ginger (Grampians, VIC)
- Cobaw Ridge (Macedon Ranges, VIC)
- Heroes (Geelong, VIC)
- Krinklewood (Hunter Valley, NSW)
- Mercer Wines (Hunter Valley, NSW)
- Ngeringa (Adelaide Hills, SA)
- Sailor Seeks Horse (TAS)
Wine of the Year: Mount Mary Triolet 2024, Yarra Valley, VIC
People’s Choice Award: Down the Rabbit Hole, McLaren Vale, SA
For more information, head to the Halliday website.
