Halliday Wine Companion is thrilled to unveil its shortlisted wineries, winemakers, and viticulturists ahead of the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. Winners will be crowned on August 20, 2025, at Melbourne's iconic Ormond Hall at The Commons Collective.
Halliday Wine Companion is the leading authority on Australian wine and has recently began reviewing New Zealand Wines and Spirits. This year, the Halliday Tasting Team has reviewed over 8000 wines across more than 945 wineries. The Shortlist celebrates the best of the best in Australian wine right now, with this year's nominees spanning Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia.
The Halliday Wine Companion Awards judging was conducted in March. Over two days, across a blind tasting, the winners were determined collaboratively by the Halliday Tasting Team.
The Halliday Tasting Team includes Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Katrina Butler, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale, and Toni Paterson MW.
The 2026 Companion will include over 60 new producers who submitted their wines for the first time, along with thousands of tasting notes and scores for wines reviewed throughout the year.
While the annual Halliday Wine Companion Awards recognise the best of the best from across Australia's wine industry, the Halliday People's Choice Award honours the best winery experience from around the country.
Wine lovers can cast their vote for the 2026 People's Choice Award on winecompanion.com.au. 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 11.59pm on Thursday July 31, 2025. Entrants will go in the running to win a prize pack valued at over $1300. The 2026 People's Choice Award winner will be announced on Saturday August 16, 2025.
Seven major trophies will be awarded in August, including Wine of the Year, Winemaker of the Year, Winery of the Year, Viticulturist of the Year, Best Value Winery, Best New Winery, Dark Horse Winery, together with the third inductee into the James Halliday Hall of Fame: Australian Wine Industry. The winners of 17 varietal categories will also be announced, including Sparkling of the Year, Shiraz of the Year, and Riesling of the Year, alongside White Wine of the Year and Red Wine of the Year.
"The last 12 months have posed many challenges for the Australian Wine Industry. The annual Halliday awards offer winemakers, viticulturists, wine drinkers, and the agricultural and farming communities the opportunity to pause and acknowledge the breadth of talent, quality, and skill in the Australian wine landscape. We look forward to celebrating our makers and their wares and sharing their accolades with the rest of the world." Katrina Butler, Head of Tasting Halliday Wine Companion.
There were two new categories this year. For the first time, grenache was judged as a straight varietal wine (in previous years, it's sat under grenache and blends). The 'wild card' category was also introduced this year, which gave the Tasting Team an opportunity to submit a wine they loved that didn't fit within the usual criteria. These left-field wines may have seen extended skin contact, been aged under flor or oxidatively handled, fermented in an interesting vessel, made from alternative varieties or comprised interesting blends.
The 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Awards celebrate the legacy of James Halliday AM, whose influence continues to shape the Australian wine industry. His passion, knowledge, and decades of dedication have inspired generations of winemakers, critics, and wine lovers alike.
The Halliday Wine Companion is the bestselling and definitive guide to Australian wine. The Companion has become a touchstone of the industry that helps readers drink the very best of Australian wine.
The 2026 Halliday Wine Companion is available to pre-order now via shop.winecompanion.com.au and will be on sale from August 21, 2025.
