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This Victorian vineyard just took out Australia’s winery of the year

Rachael Thompson Rachael Thompson
And it’s not the first time…

Australia is no stranger to fantastic wineries. From Margaret River to the Hunter Valley, chardonnay to shiraz, winemakers are creating some of the world’s best drops. But one winery in particular is taking the spotlight in 2026.

Each year, an expert tasting panel from leading wine authority, The Real Review, assesses approximately 10,000 wines to decipher the wineries producing the best drops. And considering Australia is home to 65 designated wine regions and roughly 2700 producers, taking the crown is no mean feat. Here’s where the judges landed…

Which is the best winery in Australia?

A winemaker sipping a glass of wine from a barrel
Yarra Yering is the 2026 Winery of the Year.

Taking out the best winery in Australia for 2026 is Yarra Yering located in Gruyere in the heart of the Yarra Valley. It marks the sixth consecutive year in which a Victorian winery has taken out the top spot and the third time the producer has taken the top spot – the most of any winery in the rankings’ history.

Tasting panel member Melissa Moore highlighted the significance of the feat. “To see Yarra Yering secure three Winery of the Year titles in the last six years is a remarkable demonstration of their consistency. It’s no mean feat for a winery to maintain this level of excellence year after year, but the partnership between Winemaker and General Manager Sarah Crowe and Vineyard Manager Andrew George is close and genuinely collaborative." 

A person handpicking grapes at Yarra Yering
They handpick all fruit at Yarra Yering.

Established in 1969, originally with 30 acres, and now 90, Yarra Yering hand harvests a low yield of grapes to create in-demand drops, including the first Shiraz Pinot Noir blend in the Yarra Valley. The cellar door is open just two days a year as they focus on the quality and craft of their winemaking. 

Winemaker and General Manager of Yarra Yering, Sarah Crowe, shared her enthusiasm for the win. “You can’t win this kind of recognition three times by chance, and you certainly can’t engineer it in a single year. It is the result of sustained effort, of decisions made and work done years earlier." 

Levantine Hill at sunset
Levantine Hill was the second-most highly regarded winery.

Yarra Yering is among friends, too. The state of Victoria secured 26.1 per cent of the 429 highest-ranking wineries. South Australia once again contributed the largest share of the rankings, accounting for 34.3 per cent of the Top Wineries list. The Barossa Valley outshone any other region, achieving 11.7 per cent of the ranked wineries, while the Margaret River came in second with 9.3 per cent. 

Completing the top five wineries of 2026 are Levantine Hill (#2, Yarra Valley, VIC), Wendouree (#3, Clare Valley, SA), Penfolds (#4, SA) and Tyrrell’s Wines (#5, Hunter Valley, NSW).

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The award winners

  • Vigneron of the Year: Steve Pannell – S.C. Pannell (McLaren Vale, SA)
  • Rising Star of the Year: Aaron Mercer – Mercer Wines (Hunter Valley, NSW) 
  • Len Evans Prize: Louise Rose, Yalumba 
  • Sparkling Wine of the Year: Deviation Road Beltana Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2018 (Adelaide Hills, SA) 
  • White Wine of the Year: Fighting Gully Road Smiths’ Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 (Beechworth, VIC) 
  • Rosé Wine of the Year: Chaffey Bros Wine Co. Not Your Grandma’s Rosé 2025 (Barossa, SA) 
  • Red Wine of the Year: Thistledown Sands of Time Old Vine Blewitt Springs Grenache 2024 (McLaren Vale, SA) 
  • Sweet Wine of the Year: Rieslingfreak No.8 Polish Hill River Schatzkammer Riesling 2025 (Clare Valley, SA)
  • Fortified Wine of the Year: Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Rutherglen Muscat NV (Rutherglen, VIC)

Discover the full list of winners

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Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is a freelance travel journalist. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love, Bed Threads and Australian Traveller/International Traveller. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
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How a $1 deal saved Bendigo’s historic tramways

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    The passionate community that saved Bendigo Tramways has kept the story of this city alive for generations.

    It was an absolute steal: a fleet of 23 trams for just $1. But such a fortunate purchase didn’t happen easily. It was 1972 when the Bendigo Trust handed over a single buck for the city’s historic collection of battery, steam and electric trams, which had transported locals since 1890.

    inside the historic Bendigo Tram
    Bendigo Tramways is a historic transport line turned tourist service. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    The city’s tram network had been declared defunct since 1970 due to post-war shortages in materials to upkeep the trams and declining passenger numbers as motor vehicles were increasing. However, determined locals would not hear of their beloved trams being sold off around the world.

    The Bendigo Trust was enlisted to preserve this heritage, by converting the trams into a tourist service. The Victorian government approved a trial, however news spread that the Australian Electric Tramways Museum in Adelaide had acquired one of the streetcars for its collection.

    a tram heading to Quarry Hill in 1957
    A tram on its way to Quarry Hill in 1957. (Image: Bendigo Heritage)

    An impassioned group rallied together to make this physically impossible. Breaking into the tram sheds, they welded iron pipes to the rails, removed carbon brushes from the motors, and formed a blockade at the depot. The community response was extraordinary, and a $1 deal was sealed.

    A new chapter for the city’s fleet

    the old Tramways Depot and Workshop
    The old Tramways Depot and Workshop is one of the stops on the hop-on, hop-off service. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Today, Bendigo Tramways welcomes some 40,000 passengers annually, operating as a hop-on, hop-off touring service aboard the restored trams. Fifteen of the now 45-strong fleet are dubbed ‘Talking Trams’ because of the taped commentary that is played along the route. The trams loop between Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Bendigo Joss House Temple, which has been a place of Chinese worship since 1871, via other sites including the old Tramways Depot and Workshop.

    a Gold Mine Bendigo Tram
    The fleet comprises 45 trams that have been restored. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

    Keeping things interesting, throughout the year visitors can step aboard different themed trams. Tram No. 302 becomes the Yarn Bomb Tram, decorated both inside and out with colourful crochet by an anonymous group of locals.

    During the festive season, Tram No. 15 operates as a tinsel-festooned Santa Tram, and the big man himself hides out somewhere along the route for excited children to find. And on selected dates, the adults-only Groove Tram runs nighttime tours of the city, accompanied by local musicians playing live tunes and a pop-up bar.

    the historic post office turned visitor centre in Bendigo
    Visitors can hop on and off to see the city’s sites such as the historic post office turned visitor centre. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    As well as preserving the city’s history, however, the continuation of the tram service has kept the skills of tram building and craftsmanship alive in a practical sense. Bendigo’s Heritage Rail Workshop is world-renowned for restoring heritage trams and repurposing vehicles in creative ways.

    Locally, for example, Tram No. 918 was transformed into the Dja Dja Wurrung Tram with original Aboriginal artworks by emerging artist Natasha Carter, with special commentary and music that shares the stories and traditions of Bendigo’s first people. You can’t put a price on preserving history. Nonetheless, it was a dollar very well spent.

    This Victorian vineyard just took out Australia’s winery of the year - Australian Traveller