New South Wales
Audrey Wilkinson – Hunter Valley, NSW
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With a strong commitment to tradition, craftsmanship, and sustainability, Audrey Wilkinson focuses on producing a wide range of award-winning wines that reflect the unique character and terroir of the region. Their cellar door has 360-degree views of the picturesque patchwork of vines and paddocks of the Hunter Valley. Find a spot on the expansive veranda or wander through the museum, which is housed in the original winery and displays a curated collection of original vats and wine and barrel making equipment. With an array of immersive food and wine experiences on offer it’s a must-visit on your next trip to the region.
5 ★ winery | audreywilkinson.com.au | Halliday profile
Centennial Vineyards – Southern Highlands, NSW
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Centennial Vineyards, jointly owned by wine professional John Large and Mark Dowling, covers 133ha of beautiful grazing land, with the vineyard planted to pinot noir (7.13ha), chardonnay (6.76ha), pinot gris (4.06ha) and smaller amounts of riesling, pinot meunier, albariño, tempranillo, grüner veltliner and gewürztraminer. View the photo galleries on their website to see why Centennial Vineyards is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Southern Highlands or visit them in person. Located just over an hour south of Sydney, their cellar door is open for tastings from 10am to 5pm, seven days.
5 ★ winery | centennial.net.au | Halliday profile
Duxton Vineyards – Murray Darling, NSW
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Duxton Vineyards is the large-scale wine arm of the asset management company, Duxton Capital, which specialises not only in equities but agriculture and hospitality venues. They are currently the largest certified Sustainable Winegrowing Australia member in Australia in terms of vineyard planted area, and produce the 100 per cent vegan-friendly Rewild wine varietals. Sustainably made with minimal intervention, Rewild wine varietals are a tribute to the brand’s home in the Murray Darling region and the grapes that grow there. Fresh and vibrant, each bottle does good and tastes even better.
4 ★ winery | duxtonvineyards.com.au | Halliday profile
Mistletoe Wines – Hunter Valley, NSW
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Mistletoe Wines can trace its history back to 1909 when a vineyard was planted on what was then called Mistletoe Farm. Ken and Gwen Sloan purchased the Pokolbin property in 1989 and created a family business spanning three generations, with son Robert tending the vines and daughter Cassandra running the cellar door with Gwen and granddaughter Natane. In 2022 the Sloan family sold the property and Ken and Gwen are selling the remaining stock at bargain prices, via their website. The quality and consistency of these wines are irreproachable. – James Halliday.
Victoria
Blue Pyrenees Estate – Pyrenees, VIC
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Blue Pyrenees Estate, owned by the pioneering Richmond-Smith family, is dedicated to making Western Victorian cool-climate wines globally competitive. Established in 1963 by Remy Cointreau as Chateau Remy, the large vineyards have since been replanted over decades with a focus on top cabernet sauvignon and shiraz fruit. In parallel, the winery wins plaudits globally for its sparkling range, all méthode traditionelle and a well-kept secret. The winemaking team is also working on a new generation of its white wines, from chardonnay to white field blends to single-vineyard viognier. Their new urban cellar door will open at 1 Flinders Lane, Melbourne later this year.
5 ★ winery | bluepyrenees.com.au | Halliday profile
Sanguine Estate – Heathcote, VIC
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The Hunter family – parents Linda and Tony, and their children Mark (winemaker) and Jodi (CEO), with their respective partners Melissa (CFO) and Brett (advisor) – have 28ha under vine at Sanguine Estate, located on the famous 510-million-year-old Cambrian earth fault line just 8km from the heart of the Heathcote township. The majority (77 per cent) of the vineyard is planted to shiraz with the balance comprising chardonnay, viognier, merlot, tempranillo, petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, grenache, lagrein, verdejo and nebbiolo. Low-yielding vines and the magic of their central Heathcote site have produced exceptional shiraz, achieving consistent awards and accolades since their inception.
5 ★ winery | sanguinewines.com.au | Halliday profile
Turners Crossing Vineyard – Bendigo, VIC
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Nestled along the banks of the Loddon River, Turners Crossing Vineyard rests amongst a pristine landscape in the heart of Victorian gold country. Turners Crossing has continued to produce wines of outstanding quality since its first harvest and the Bendigo region's gold bearing soils have consistently proved ideally suited to viticulture. Spread across 42ha, its alluvial composition and Mediterranean climate make it a happy home for warm-climate varieties in particular. The vineyard is virtually pesticide and chemical free and has recently been certified sustainable. Proudly family owned, the Turners Crossing range includes: shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, rosé, viognier and the rare Italian variety, picolit.
4 ★ winery | turnerscrossing.com.au | Halliday profile
South Australia
1847 Wines – Barossa Valley, SA
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1847 Wines is named in recognition of the year when Barossa pioneer Johann Gramp planted his first vines in the region. The 1847 Winery is a 100t winery built in 2014, which handles the super-premium production of 1847 Wines. In 2014, 1847 Wines purchased Château Yaldara providing a cellar door and promotional outlet and enabling an increase in production facilities that was required due to strong growth. Today they concentrate on premium Barossa vineyards and selected Adelaide Hills vineyards for sparkling production. Exports to the US, Canada, Germany, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and China.
4 ★ winery | 1847wines.com | Halliday profile
Sister's Run – McLaren Vale, SA
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Sister’s Run is serious fun. Its talented young winemaker, Elena, wears steel-cap work boots every day, but carries a pair of high heels in back of the ute. The stiletto and boot represent Sister’s Run: an independently owned and operated winery with a fierce commitment to making the best wines they can from family vineyards. As they say: “We don’t take ourselves as seriously as we take our wines. The best wine is the wine you like.”
4 ★ winery | sistersrun.com.au | Halliday profile
Skillogalee – Clare Valley, SA
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Skillogalee is a family-owned winery in the heart of the Clare Valley. Their 170ha property is a blend of iconic vineyards planted on the contour and rolling hills covered in natural bushland. At the estate’s heart is the beautiful stone cottage built by Cornish miner John Trestrail in 1851, now home to their acclaimed cellar door and restaurant. Skillogalee’s first wines were released in 1976 and the team is very proud of their award-winning range, which reflects both their passion for winemaking and for the land they feel privileged to look after.
4.5 ★ winery | skillogalee.com.au | Halliday profile
Smidge Wines – McLaren Vale, SA
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Smidge captures everything that it is to be a passionately boutique winery. With all aspects of winery operations from berry to bottle on the one compact site, it is the commitment to each step that sets Smidge apart. Upon visiting, guests will immediately get a sense of the Smidge story in a simple, intimate cellar door frequently hosted by founder and head winemaker Matt Wenk. Matt’s winemaking journey began over 30 years ago in the Adelaide Hills before taking on France, California, the Hunter and Barossa Valleys – culminating in being awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial. Fast forward to today, where Matt and Smidge have been delivering award-winning wines for over 20 years.
5 ★ winery | smidgewines.com | Halliday profile
Western Australia
Clairault Streicker – Margaret River, WA
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Clairault Streicker is a family-owned grower and wine producer based in Margaret River, located on the rugged south-west coastline of Western Australia. They are the owners and caretakers of four distinct sites spanning multiple subregions. Their oldest vineyard, established in 1976, is also home to their signature cellar door and vineyard kitchen. Clairault Streicker wines are authentic and classically-styled, setting a benchmark for the Margaret River region.
5 ★ winery | clairaultstreickerwines.com.au | Halliday profile
Victory Point – Margaret River, WA
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Located north of Margaret River township, Victory Point vineyard was established in 1997 by the Berson family and has never been irrigated. The vines have been hand nurtured through the establishing years and are now producing extremely high-quality fruit which reflects the vintage and conditions each year. The picturesque site is divided by a permanent creek and produces the chardonnay grapes on the north facing slope and the cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot varieties opposite, where the soil structure is completely different, offering the gravelly loam soils required. Wines are made under contract by Mark Messenger and matured in French oak barriques.
5 ★ winery | victorypointwines.com | Halliday profile
Voyager Estate – Margaret River, WA
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Voyager Estate is a second-generation family-owned estate in Margaret River, Western Australia. Established in 1978, their heritage vines reflect the unique qualities of the Stevens Valley, with its undulating slopes, warm summers and cooling maritime breezes. Their ultimate ambition couldn’t be simpler – to craft wines that do justice to their extraordinary climate and soils with their elegant and balanced chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons. Their vineyards have been farmed sustainably for decades, and the conversion to organic farming and pathway to certification started in 2017, with the first certified organic grapes harvested in 2020. This process was completed in 2023, and the entire vineyard is now officially Australian Certified Organic.
5 ★ winery | voyagerestate.com.au | Halliday profile
