Our Winemaker of the Year award is a celebration of the people who do their darndest to put stunning wines on our tables, and into our lives. We present the 2025 Winemaker of the Year Shortlist – meet our finalists below.
Colin McBryde, Adelina Wines
Where: Clare Valley, South Australia
Established: 2002
Viticulturist: Dylan Grigg (consultant)
Why: "Colin McBride is a smart, gentle, detailed winemaker. Everything he does is sensitive to his land, both at the base level as a farmer (organically) and in the glass, in that the land is forever encouraged to shine through."
Jacinta Jenkins, Balnaves of Coonawarra
Where: Coonawarra, South Australia
Established: 1975
Viticulturist: Pete Balnaves
Why: "Jacinta Jenkins is Coonawarra through and through... and it shows in the wines that she’s making at Balnaves. Her wines are elegant, authentic, balanced; there’s nothing forced about them, which leaves the region to shine through. In other words, she does her region proud."
Andre Bondar, Bondar Wines
Where: McLaren Vale, South Australia
Established: 2013
Viticulturist: Ben Lacey
Why: "Bondar is an example of deft, responsive winemaking at its best; every step is an attempt to eliminate the winemaker’s fingerprints, and to highlight the expression of the site. Respect."
Gareth Belton, Gentle Folk
Where: Adelaide Hills, South Australia
Established: 2013
Viticulturist: Dylan Grigg
Why: "Gareth Belton is a wine person who is on a grand wine journey, and when you drink his wines, you’re not just on it with him – you’re fascinated."
Melanie Chester, Giant Steps
Where: Yarra Valley, Victoria
Established: 1997
Viticulturist: Ashley Wood
Why: "Somehow Chester has pushed the level of excellence at Giant Steps yet higher... She is a force. She is a wonder. And she’s got Giant Steps flying."
Simon Osicka, Paul Osicka
Where: Heathcote, Victoria
Established: 1955
Viticulturist: Alison Phillips
Why: "Simon Osicka is a gem of a human being and a gem of a winemaker. Every time you raise a glass of his wine you can taste the history, the dedication, the thought, the knowledge, the humility."
Liz Silkman, Silkman Wines
Where: Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Established: 2013
Why: "You get the feeling, when you taste Hunter Valley winemaker Liz Silkman’s wines, that no challenge is insurmountable, and that with thought, knowledge and dedication, every lining can be silver."
Liam McElhinney, Tasmanian Vintners
Where: Southern Tasmania
Established: 2019
Viticulturist: Christian de Camps
Why: "One thing that’s obvious is that Liam McElhinney is on a roll... In short, he’s a force for good; he’s making both Tasmanian wine and Australian wine more broadly a better place."
Virginia Willcock, Vasse Felix
Where: Margaret River, Western Australia
Established: 1967
Viticulturist: Bart Molony
Why: "It’s quite incredible that Virginia Willcock, long-time head of winemaking at Vasse Felix, tastes every barrel and every parcel of wine in the Vasse Felix cellar every single week. Almost nothing else need be said: this is dedication at both its finest and most admirable."
The full 2026 Shortlist is now live
The 2025 Winemaker of the Year has already been announced, and we've now moved onto the 2026 Shortlist. Find all the latest finalists here.
*This is an edited extract from the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion, with reviews by James Halliday, Campbell Mattinson, Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale and Toni Paterson MW. Cover art by Vera Babida.
Quotes by Campbell Mattinson.
