Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries 2024: 76–100

Best wineries Australia

The wineries ranked 76–100 in the Halliday Top 100 Wineries showcase South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania, with South Australia accounting for 10 of the featured producers. The Adelaide Hills wineries are Gentle Folk, Murdoch Hill and, of course, Shaw + Smith. Also making the list for some of the best Coonawarra wineries are Parker Estate and Penley Estate. Looking for a McLaren Vale shiraz? The Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah is an Australian icon wine.

Winemaker of the Year Liz Silkman's label Silkman Wines features at number 78. And if you're after Hunter Valley winery accommodation, you can't go wrong with a visit to Pooles Rock.

Seven Victorian wineries feature across six regions. Beechworth wineries include Fighting Gully Road and Eldorado Road. If you're heading to the Geelong wine region, then Scotchmans Hill is a must, as is its chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah. For wineries near Ballarat, Eastern Peake is just a 25-minute drive from Ballarat Central. Norm Latta and Di Pym established Eastern Peake over 40 years ago, and it's now under the guidance of their son, Owen.

View the Top 100 Wineries: 1–25

View the Top 100 Wineries: 26–50

View the Top 100 Wineries: 51–75

Gentle Folk | Fighting Gully Road | Silkman Wines | Deep Woods Estate | Scotchmans Hill | Delamere Vineyards | Best’s Wines | Tapanappa | Parker Coonawarra Estate | Flowstone Wines | Eastern Peake | Castle Rock Estate | De Bortoli | Eldorado Road | Pooles Rock | Murdoch Hill | Flametree | Collector Wines | Pewsey Vale Vineyard | Clarendon Hills | Spinifex | Penley Estate | Adelina Wines | Shaw + Smith | Tahbilk

76. Gentle Folk

In another life, Gareth and Rainbo Belton were both marine scientists specialising in phycology (the study of marine plant life) before wine lured them to the Adelaide Hills’ Basket Range. Friends Alex Schulkin (The Other Right) and James Erskine (Jauma) were influential at the time, and the Gentle Folk brand was perhaps more associated with some of the vin de soif wines they initially made, and a decidedly natural vibe. The essence of that is true now, in the best sense, in that the vines are farmed with organic practices and the only winery addition is a little sulphur. The core of the range, though, is a suite of single-site chardonnay and pinot noir of effortless purity, detailed texture and clear site-specific delineation. Add to that the ‘Village’ wines, which draw in other varieties, such as sangiovese, gamay and syrah, from a range of vineyards, and with general trend towards mid-weighted drinkability but at no expense to detail and character, and Gentle Folk is one of the Hills’ most exciting producers.

5 ★ winery | Halliday profile | Gentle Folk | @gentlefolkwine