Exclusive: Australia’s top winery has just been revealed

The 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards have crowned Australia’s best in wine, from breakthrough newcomers to a Hunter Valley icon taking the top honour.

Australia’s most prestigious wine awards have toasted the nation’s top drops for 2026, with Hunter Valley heavyweight Brokenwood taking home the coveted title of Winery of the Year.

The announcement was made at Ormond House in Melbourne, where the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards unveiled winners across seven major categories, alongside varietal champions that spanned the country’s leading regions.

The big winners

Brokenwood Wines cellar door, Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley wine region — Brokenwood won Winery of the Year. (Image: Destination NSW)

Winery of the Year – Brokenwood, Hunter Valley, NSW
Winemaker of the Year – Virginia Willcock, Vasse Felix, Margaret River, WA
Viticulturist of the Year – Dr Dylan Grigg, Vinya Vella and Meristem Viticulture
Best New Winery – Elanto Vineyard, Mornington Peninsula, Vic
Best Value Winery – Bondar Wines, McLaren Vale, SA
Dark Horse Winery – bakkheia, Geographe, WA
Wine of the Year – Thistledown Wines’ ‘This Charming Man’ Clarendon Grenache 2024, McLaren Vale, SA (also took out Red Wine of the Year and Grenache of the Year)

Other standouts included Vasse Felix’s Heytesbury Chardonnay 2023, which scored an extraordinary 99 points to claim White Wine of the Year and Chardonnay of the Year, and Tasmania’s Stefano Lubiana Prestige 2011, crowned Sparkling Wine of the Year. The Fortified Wine of the Year went to All Saints Estate’s Museum Muscadelle NV, Rutherglen, which achieved a perfect 100-point score.

Brokenwood’s moment in the spotlight

Brokenwood Wines chief winemaker, StuartHordern — Brokenwood’s chief winemaker, Stuart Hordern. (Image: Destination NSW)

For Brokenwood’s chief winemaker, Stuart Hordern, the award was equal parts shock and delight.

“It’s quite an illustrious award. There are an incredible number of outstanding wineries in Australia on any given year, so to come out on top was quite a thrill," Hordern told Australian Traveller in an exclusive interview.

He credits Brokenwood’s success to a steadfast focus on quality, from entry-level favourites like Cricket Pitch White through to iconic wines such as Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay and the highly regarded Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz.

Hordern points to the 2023 Hunter Valley shiraz vintage as a defining moment.

“From harvest, we knew we were onto something special. The fruit had incredible natural colour, density and tannin maturity. You really only get one or two [great vintages] a decade, so to have that quality to start with is excellent."

Among them, the legendary Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz remains the clearest expression of Brokenwood’s philosophy – single-site pedigree, a strong sense of place and a legacy of excellence.

The Hunter Valley advantage

Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz at Brokenwood Wines, Pokolbin — The Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz remains the clearest expression of Brokenwood’s philosophy. (Image: Destination NSW)

While Brokenwood has made waves nationally and internationally, Hordern insists the winery’s beating heart remains in the Hunter Valley.

“Aged Hunter semillon is unique in the world of wine. For a New World wine region to have a style that is incomparable to anything else – that’s rare. Aged Hunter semillon deserves its place on any table in the world," he said.

That sense of place extends to Brokenwood’s tight-knit team, which Hordern describes as “enthusiastic and hardworking," always benchmarking themselves against the world’s best to push standards higher.

Looking ahead

Couple enjoying a winery tour at Brokenwood Wines, Pokolbin. — Oakey Creek Vineyard is Brokenwood’s largest semillon fruit source. (Image: Destination NSW)

Winning Winery of the Year doesn’t mean slowing down. One project Hordern is especially excited about is the Oakey Creek Vineyard, acquired from the Drayton family, which is Brokenwood’s largest semillon fruit source.

“The improvements we’re making in that vineyard, seeing the fruits of that labour come to bear, is what the team and I are most excited about," he said.

Brokenwood’s win is both recognition of its 55-year legacy and a springboard for the future.

A celebration of Australian wine

Harvested grapes at Brokenwood Wines, Pokolbin. — The 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards were held on 20 August 2025. (Image: Destination NSW)

Across the board, this year’s Halliday Awards underscored the strength and diversity of Australia’s wine industry – from the Yarra Valley’s pinot powerhouses and McLaren Vale’s grenache stars to Margaret River’s cabernet sauvignon excellence and Tasmania’s sparkling triumphs.

Want more? Find out which winery took home the People’s Choice Award.

Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

walking trails in the Yarra Valley — You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy — Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy — A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate — Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

kangaroos in Yarra Valley — Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

the Yarra Valley vineyards — Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway — The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

Playing there

the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley — Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

Eating and drinking there

Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station — The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)