- The Real Review has released its annual Top Wineries of Australia ranking for 2026.
- Yarra Yering has taken the top spot for the third time – the most of any winery in the ranking’s ten-year history – making it six consecutive years a Victorian winery has worn the crown.
- The panel assessed more than 10,000 wines, with 429 producers awarded a Top Wineries Certificate.
The Yarra Valley’s Yarra Yering has taken out The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2026 Awards, becoming the only winery in the ranking’s history to claim the title three times.
“You can’t win this kind of recognition three times by chance, and you certainly can’t engineer it in a single year,” said a thrilled Winemaker and General Manager, Sarah Crowe. “It is the result of sustained effort, of decisions made and work done years earlier.”
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The wines certainly back her up: four 98-point reviews in a single assessment – the Dry Red Wine No. 1, Dry Red No. 2, Underhill Shiraz, and Carrodus Chardonnay.
The previous top spot went to Wine by Farr; the year before that, Yarra Yering. Victoria, it’s safe to say, is not done. Rounding out the top five: Levantine Hill (#2, Yarra Valley), Wendouree (#3, Clare Valley), Penfolds (#4, South Australia), and Tyrrell’s Wines (#5, Hunter Valley) – a result that confirms both the Yarra Valley’s dominance and the Hunter’s continued relevance at the top end of Australian wine.
The Best Wineries In Australia 2026
| Rank | Winery | Region | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yarra Yering | Yarra Valley | VIC |
| 2 | Levantine Hill | Yarra Valley | VIC |
| 3 | Wendouree | Clare Valley | SA |
| 4 | Penfolds | South Australia (multiple regions) | SA |
| 5 | Tyrrell’s Wines | Hunter Valley | NSW |
| 6 | Henschke | Eden Valley | SA |
| 7 | Wine by Farr | Geelong | VIC |
| 8 | Cullen | Wilyabrup (Margaret River) | WA |
| 9 | Chambers Rosewood | Rutherglen | VIC |
| 10 | Thistledown | McLaren Vale | SA |
Statewide, Victoria accounted for 26.1% of the 429 producers on the full list, but South Australia claimed the largest overall share at 34.3% – and nearly swept the category awards, taking six of the nine trophies.
The standout among them: the Chaffey Bros ‘Not Your Grandma’s Rosé’ 2025, a $25 Barossa bottle named Rosé Wine of the Year, which is the kind of result worth paying attention to in a field not typically known for bargains. If you’ve been sleeping on Australian rosé, that’s your sign.
Thistledown’s ‘Sands of Time’ Old Vine Blewitt Springs Grenache 2024 took Red Wine of the Year – a strong result for McLaren Vale Grenache, which has been building a serious case for itself over the past few years.
The Len Evans Prize, awarded for outstanding contribution to Australian wine, went to Louisa Rose of Yalumba: over 30 vintages at Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, plus extensive work with the Australian Wine Research Institute and a long judging career.
Steve Pannell of S.C. Pannell was named Vigneron of the Year – if you haven’t tried his Grenache or Tempranillo from McLaren Vale, that’s where to start. Meanwhile, Aaron Mercer of Mercer Wines took Rising Star for his work with alternative varieties and sustainable viticulture; his Sangiovese rosé, made from fruit grown in Orange, is certainly one to try.
