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These 8 wineries have just been named Australia’s best

Credit: Oakridge Estate

Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
The prestigious Halliday Wine Companion has uncorked its shortlist of the best wineries in Australia right now.

Spanning experimental micro-producers to lauded household names, Australia lays claim to an astounding number of excellent wineries – certainly too many to count. Thankfully, the Halliday Wine Companion has unveiled its 2027 shortlist, presenting a definitive list that shines a light on the top Australian wine producers currently leading the pack.

This year’s Halliday Tasting Team swirled, sniffed and sipped their way through a staggering 7520 wines from 1033 wineries before whittling down the field to just eight finalists in the Winery of the Year category. Alongside the other major category awards, the winner will be announced on 19 August 2026, so stay tuned.

South Australia dominated the shortlist, securing the largest number of finalists and reinforcing its status as one of the country’s premier food and wine regions – recently bolstered by the arrival of the SA Michelin Guide.

In no particular order, below are the wineries that made the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards shortlist for Winery of the Year.

The best wineries in Australia right now

Koomilya, McLaren Vale, SA 

best australian wineries
Koomilya operates on an old-school shiraz vineyard.

It’s hard to compete when there are so many incredible wineries in McLaren Vale, yet Koomilya stands out with its forward-thinking approach to traditional shiraz making. Stephen and Fiona Pannell have regenerated an old shiraz vineyard with organic farming and environmental care, producing single site wines that reflect each season.  

Forest Hill Vineyard, Great Southern, WA 

Forest Hill winery
You can visit Forest Hill Vineyard for cellar door experiences.

Tucked deep in the belly of Western Australia’s Great Southern region, 45 minutes west of Albany, Forest Hill Vineyard began its viticulture journey in 1965 – fuelled by an ambitious belief in the potential of the cool-climate landscape. From its vibrant rieslings to its complex cabernet sauvignon, each wine reflects the region’s unique geological character.  

House of Arras, Tas 

house of arras tasmania
House of Arras is renowned for its quality cool-climate sparkling.

Its vineyards protected by mountain wilderness and influenced by the Great Southern Ocean, House of Arras is best known for its sparkling wines borne from Tasmania’s unique crisp climate. Winemaker Ed Carr uses a meticulous fine bottle maturation method known as tirage to create the brand’s signature elegant and creamy effervescence.  

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Sami-Odi, Barossa Valley, SA 

Winemaker Fraser McKinley
Winemaker Fraser McKinley has reframed the identity of Barossa wine.

A small-batch vineyard vying for top honours against household heavyweights, Sami-Odi is a cult indie producer that creates around 1000 cases per year. Despite the winery having no cellar door, public tastings or traditional marketing, it has a dedicated mailing list of oenophiles who patiently wait to get their hands on a bottle of its unblended shiraz. 

Oakridge, Yarra Valley, VIC 

oakridge winery
Oakridge Estate delivers remarkably consistent wines.

It’s not the first time Oakridge has been nominated as a finalist for Winery of the Year, having been recognised for its unwavering consistency of quality across its vintages. The company continues to set high standards for Yarra Valley winemaking, from benchmark chardonnay to delicate pinot noir. Drop in for curated tastings of classic and award-winning Oakridge wines or join a chardonnay masterclass. 

Tolpuddle, Tas 

tolpuddle vineyard tasmania
Tolpuddle is known for its chardonnay and pinot noir. (Credit: Adam Gibson)

Located in the Coal River Valley about 30 minutes from Hobart – one of Australia’s coolest and driest climates – Tolpuddle has been named one of Australia’s best wineries for good reason. The 31-hectare vineyard has light silica over sandstone soil that ensures well-balanced grapes with intensity of flavour, producing its must-try Tasmanian chardonnay and pinot noir.  

Yeringberg, Yarra Valley, VIC 

yeringberg
Walk among prized vineyards at Yeringberg.

Established in 1863, Yeringberg is a fourth-generation family winery and farm carrying forward the de Pury legacy of traditional, unhurried winemaking. The vineyard’s wines boast remarkable longevity, with reds that can age for at least 21 years. Pre-booking is essential for visits.

Bekkers, McLaren Vale, SA

best wineries australia
Bekkers sits among the Halliday finalists for Winery of the Year.

This hyper-boutique, family-owned winery in South Australia’s McLaren Vale produces wines in tiny quantities, paying great attention to finesse and fine texture. Pop into Bekker’s tasting room for sweeping vineyard views and top drops in fine glassware. 

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Best Value Winery 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 shortlist

  • Decades, Tas
  • Fervor, Great Southern, WA
  • Foreign Friends, Beechworth, VIC
  • L’Anima, McLaren Vale, SA
  • S. Caica, McLaren Vale, SA
  • Thunderstone, Porongurup, WA

How to vote

Wine lovers can cast their vote for the 2027 People’s Choice Award on the Halliday Wine Companion website. Nominations are based on criteria including standout cellar door experiences, outstanding restaurant offerings, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and overall quality of wines. Submissions are open until Friday, July 31, 2026. The 2027 People’s Choice Award winner, alongside the major awards, will be announced at the Halliday Wine Companion awards ceremony

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Eleanor Edström
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
    Continue
    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington, like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours. While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.