The Halliday Tasting Team has worked tirelessly over the past year, assessing and reviewing around 7500 wines from over 1000 wineries across Australia.
While some of this is done at home, much of this is done in region, with the Tasting Team frequently hitting the road to discover the latest releases, new labels, and, most importantly, strengthen the connection between each producer and what’s in their glass.
Understanding where a wine has come from is essential, but provenance doesn’t just mean soil, aspect and other climatic influences. It’s just as important to understand the who, why and how. Because truly great wineries do more than just make great wine: they innovate, they invest, they refocus. They push boundaries and set styles.
And only after all these variables are understood can we then separate great from good.
Although only one winery can be awarded the prestigious title of 2027 Halliday Winery of the Year, the below eight wineries are all worthy contenders. Not only do they consistently produce outstanding, high-quality wine, they also elevate and exemplify the reputation of Australian wine.
Celebrate the finalists below and learn why they’ve been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award.
Bekkers
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Established: 2010
Winemaker: Emmanuelle Bekkers
Viticulturists: Toby Bekkers
Winery website: bekkerswine.com
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “Emmanuelle and Toby Bekkers’ wines are uniformly outstanding – 44 out of all 48 Halliday has tasted since the ’11 vintage have scored 95 points or higher, with five 98s and two 99s among them. But it’s the detailed, sympathetic approach to viticulture, respect for the land and commitment to the region that sets this husband-and-wife duo and their label apart.” – Anna Webster
Forest Hill Vineyard
Region: Great Southern, Western Australia
Established: 1965
Winemakers: Liam Carmody, Guy Lyons
Viticulturist: Ross Pike
Winery website: foresthillwines.com.au
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “Since the Lyons family acquired Great Southern's oldest vineyard in ’96, they’ve set about rejuvenating the vines and revegetating the land, a sign of the responsibility they feel to preserve this historic site. And the wines, made by Liam Carmody since ’08, have never looked better. Forest Hill is one of Australia’s most exciting producers.” – Anna Webster
House of Arras
Region: Northern Tasmania, Tasmania
Established: 1995
Winemaker: Ed Carr
Viticulturists: Ben Bussell
Winery website: houseofarras.com.au
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “It is impossible to talk about Australian sparkling wine without mentioning House of Arras. Credit, naturally, goes to winemaker Ed Carr, who has never wavered in his mission to craft world-class sparkling wines from pristine Tasmanian fruit. The influence both he and House of Arras have had on Australia's sparkling wine industry, and on our global reputation for the style as a result, cannot be underestimated.” – Anna Webster
Koomilya
Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Established: 2015
Winemaker: Stephen Pannell
Viticulturist: Stephen Pannell
Winery website: pannell.com.au
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “Steve Pannell’s vision for Koomilya has always been to produce wines that communicate place. While not a unique proposition, it’s one he executes almost without peer. There’s no winemaking artifice here; no new or small oak masking the essence of fruit or site. These are serious wines, intense and flavourful, speaking somehow of past, present and future.” – Anna Webster
Oakridge
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
Established: 1978
Winemakers: David Bicknell, Tim Dexter
Viticulturist: Steve Faulkner
Winery website: oakridgewines.com.au
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “Despite several changes of ownership since it was established in ’78, quality has remained a constant at Oakridge, thanks in no small part to chief winemaker and manager David Bicknell. Seventeen of the 21 wines Halliday looked at for the ’27 Companion received gold-medal scores, an impressive feat made more so by the regularity with which this ratio is achieved, year on year." – Anna Webster
Sami-Odi
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
Established: 2006
Winemaker: Fraser McKinley
Viticulturist: Fraser McKinley
Winery website: sami-odi.com
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “It’s not hard to see how Sami-Odi has been able to inspire such a devoted following over the past 20 years. The wines, in the masterful hands of Fraser McKinley, are stunning. As regional taster Dave Brookes says: “Sami-Odi is one of the Barossa’s finest, a producer that has redefined the region's reputation for fruit purity and balance". – Anna Webster
Tolpuddle Vineyard
Region: Southern Tasmania, Tasmania
Established: 2011
Winemakers: Adam Wadewitz, Martin Shaw
Viticulturists: Georgie Jacobs, Murray Leake
Winery website: tolpuddlevineyard.com
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “Ever since the inaugural vintage in ’12, the wines off this magnetic vineyard have been among the most in-demand in the country. Halliday has reviewed all 26 wines released by Tolpuddle over its history, and all (bar one, noted as an anomaly) scored 95 points or higher, with a whopping eight at 98 points, a further eight at 97, and seven at 96. This is unquestionably one of Australia’s best wineries." – Anna Webster
Yeringberg
Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria
Established: 1863
Winemakers: Sandra de Pury
Viticulturists: David de Pury
Winery website: yeringberg.com.au
Why they've been nominated for the 2027 Winery of the Year award: “The air of history at Yeringberg is palpable. The de Pury family were among the first to plant vines in the Yarra Valley, back in 1863, and have nurtured this patch of land ever since. Today, in the hands of fourth-generation siblings David and Sandra de Pury, it remains one of Australia's most important producers." – Anna Webster
2027 People's Choice Award
Voting is now open for the 2027 Halliday People's Choice Award. While the Awards celebrates the best of the best in Australian wine, the People's Choice Award honours the best winery experience from around the country. Cast your vote and go into the running to win the ultimate prize pack valued at over $1000. Vote now.
2027 Taste the Awards event
Tickets are now on sale for 2027 Taste the Awards. Meet some of the winning winemakers and be the first to taste the top wines of the year. Taste the Awards 2027 is an exclusive showcase of award-winning wines and wineries from the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards. Secure your tickets below.Taste the Awards: Melbourne
Thursday August 20, 2026
Panama Dining Room and Bar
Book here
The winner of each category will be announced at the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards on Wednesday August 19, 2026.
The 2027 Halliday Wine Companion – Australia's most comprehensive wine guide – will be available from August 20.
*This is an edited extract from the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Katrina Butler, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale and Toni Paterson MW. Cover art by Chantel de Latour.
