- The 2025 edition of the Halliday Wine Companion, Australia’s most acclaimed wine rankings, has just been published.
- This edition, the coveted ‘Best Winery of the Year’ accolade goes to Giant Steps, Yarra Valley.
- Both the major ‘White Wine’ and ‘Red Wine’ award categories went to Victorian producers, cementing the region’s longtime reputation for top quality.
Victorian oenophiles have lots to toast to this week, as the state’s world-famous Yarra Valley rakes in a grip of accolades in the latest edition of the Halliday Wine Companion.
In a ceremony held just hours ago at Melbourne’s Ormond Hall, the Companion recognised Yarra Valley stalwart Giant Steps as Australia’s ‘Winery of the Year.’
RELATED: 10 Red Wine Picks Under $100 Worth Quaffing This Winter
The region is a force to be reckoned with in general for 2025: with fellow Valley winemaker Oakridge also recognised for the ‘White Wine of the Year’ — a single-vineyard Chardonnay, scored by the Halliday tasting team at 98 points. Impressively, these reviewers scored the Companion‘s ‘Red Wine of the Year’ — the latest vintage of Yarra Yering iconic Dry Red Wine No. 2 — even higher: at a near-perfect 99 points.
At a broad remove, Victoria accounted for more of the Companion‘s ‘Varietal Awards’ than any other state; yet other results painted a “wonderful picture of strength and diversity” for the world’s 6th biggest wine industry.
South Australia emerged as the single biggest repository of “5-star” wineries: the Halliday designation for producers of “very high quality,” who are required to offer at least two wines with a 95+point rating.
Meanwhile, if they already haven’t, bargain hunters are advised to keep a close eye on Riesling: a variety that the Companion has named Australia’s “best-value” grape.
Similarly, the French cultivar of Chenin Blanc continues to enjoy upward popularity with discerning drinkers: as evidenced by its second win in the ‘Other Whites & Blends’ category.
RELATED: What Langtons’ Long-Running Classification Says About The Evolution Of Aussie Wine Culture
Variously regarded by consumers and enthusiasts as “the definitive guide” to Australian vino, the Companion covers over 7,500 bottles produced by 1,100 of the country’s leading wineries.
The Halliday tasting team has also appended a range of useful supporting information to its rankings: including regional vintage reports; up-to-date region-specific maps; and a directory of relevant food, accommodation and cellar door offerings.
You can now find the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion online and at good bookstores nationwide.
Check out the full list of results from this year’s Halliday Wine Companion below:
2025 Halliday Wine Companion Major Award Winners
- Winery of the Year – Giant Steps, Yarra Valley, VIC
- Winemaker of the Year – Liz Silkman, First Creek Wines and Silkman Wines, Hunter Valley, NSW
- Viticulturist of the Year – Bart Molony, Vasse Felix, Margaret River, WA
- Best Value Winery – Mulline, Geelong, VIC
- Best New Winery – Sami-Odi, Barossa Valley, SA
- Dark Horse Winery – ChaLou Wines, Orange, NSW
- Wine of the Year – Oakridge 864 Drive Block Funder & Diamond Vineyard Chardonnay 2022, Yarra Valley, VIC
2025 Halliday Wine Companion Varietal Winners
- Chardonnay of the Year | White Wine of the Year – Oakridge 864 Drive Block Funder & Diamond Vineyard Chardonnay 2022, Yarra Valley, VIC (98 points)
- Shiraz of the Year | Red Wine of the Year – Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 2 2022, Yarra Valley, VIC (99 points)
- Sparkling Wine of the Year – Brown Brothers Patricia Brut Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2018, King Valley, VIC (98 points)
- Riesling of the Year – Rieslingfreak No. 12 Riesling 2023, Eden Valley, SA (98 points)
- Semillon of the Year – Silkman Wines Single Vineyard Blackberry Semillon 2023, Hunter Valley, NSW (98 points)
- Sauvignon Blanc of the Year – Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Wrattonbully, SA (97 points)
- Pinot Gris/Grigio of the Year – Quealy Winemakers Feri Maris Single Block Pinot Grigio 2023, Mornington Peninsula, VIC (96 points)
- Other Whites & Blends of the Year – MMAD Vineyard Blewitt Springs Chenin Blanc 2022, McLaren Vale, VIC (97 points)
- Rosé of the Year – Sutton Grange Winery Fairbank Rosé 2023, Central Victoria, VIC (96 points)
- Pinot Noir of the Year – Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023, Yarra Valley, VIC (98 points)
- Grenache & Blends of the Year – Thistledown Wines This Charming Man Single Vineyard Clarendon Grenache 2023, McLaren Vale, SA (98 points)
- Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year – Houghton Jack Mann Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Frankland River, WA (98 points)
- Cabernet & Blends of the Year – Mount Mary Quintet 2022, Yarra Valley, VIC (98 points)
- Other Reds & Blends of the Year – Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 3 2022, Yarra Valley, VIC (98 points)
- Sweet Wine of the Year – Pressing Matters R139 Riesling 2022, Tasmania (97 points)
- Fortified Wine of the Year – All Saints Estate Museum Muscat NV, Rutherglen, VIC (100 points)
