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This Victorian vineyard just took out Australia’s winery of the year

Rachael Thompson Rachael Thompson
And it’s not the first time…

Australia is no stranger to fantastic wineries. From Margaret River to the Hunter Valley, chardonnay to shiraz, winemakers are creating some of the world’s best drops. But one winery in particular is taking the spotlight in 2026.

Each year, an expert tasting panel from leading wine authority, The Real Review, assesses approximately 10,000 wines to decipher the wineries producing the best drops. And considering Australia is home to 65 designated wine regions and roughly 2700 producers, taking the crown is no mean feat. Here’s where the judges landed…

Which is the best winery in Australia?

A winemaker sipping a glass of wine from a barrel
Yarra Yering is the 2026 Winery of the Year.

Taking out the best winery in Australia for 2026 is Yarra Yering located in Gruyere in the heart of the Yarra Valley. It marks the sixth consecutive year in which a Victorian winery has taken out the top spot and the third time the producer has taken the top spot – the most of any winery in the rankings’ history.

Tasting panel member Melissa Moore highlighted the significance of the feat. “To see Yarra Yering secure three Winery of the Year titles in the last six years is a remarkable demonstration of their consistency. It’s no mean feat for a winery to maintain this level of excellence year after year, but the partnership between Winemaker and General Manager Sarah Crowe and Vineyard Manager Andrew George is close and genuinely collaborative." 

A person handpicking grapes at Yarra Yering
They handpick all fruit at Yarra Yering.

Established in 1969, originally with 30 acres, and now 90, Yarra Yering hand harvests a low yield of grapes to create in-demand drops, including the first Shiraz Pinot Noir blend in the Yarra Valley. The cellar door is open just two days a year as they focus on the quality and craft of their winemaking. 

Winemaker and General Manager of Yarra Yering, Sarah Crowe, shared her enthusiasm for the win. “You can’t win this kind of recognition three times by chance, and you certainly can’t engineer it in a single year. It is the result of sustained effort, of decisions made and work done years earlier." 

Levantine Hill at sunset
Levantine Hill was the second-most highly regarded winery.

Yarra Yering is among friends, too. The state of Victoria secured 26.1 per cent of the 429 highest-ranking wineries. South Australia once again contributed the largest share of the rankings, accounting for 34.3 per cent of the Top Wineries list. The Barossa Valley outshone any other region, achieving 11.7 per cent of the ranked wineries, while the Margaret River came in second with 9.3 per cent. 

Completing the top five wineries of 2026 are Levantine Hill (#2, Yarra Valley, VIC), Wendouree (#3, Clare Valley, SA), Penfolds (#4, SA) and Tyrrell’s Wines (#5, Hunter Valley, NSW).

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

The award winners

  • Vigneron of the Year: Steve Pannell – S.C. Pannell (McLaren Vale, SA)
  • Rising Star of the Year: Aaron Mercer – Mercer Wines (Hunter Valley, NSW) 
  • Len Evans Prize: Louise Rose, Yalumba 
  • Sparkling Wine of the Year: Deviation Road Beltana Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2018 (Adelaide Hills, SA) 
  • White Wine of the Year: Fighting Gully Road Smiths’ Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 (Beechworth, VIC) 
  • Rosé Wine of the Year: Chaffey Bros Wine Co. Not Your Grandma’s Rosé 2025 (Barossa, SA) 
  • Red Wine of the Year: Thistledown Sands of Time Old Vine Blewitt Springs Grenache 2024 (McLaren Vale, SA) 
  • Sweet Wine of the Year: Rieslingfreak No.8 Polish Hill River Schatzkammer Riesling 2025 (Clare Valley, SA)
  • Fortified Wine of the Year: Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Rutherglen Muscat NV (Rutherglen, VIC)

Discover the full list of winners

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Rachael Thompson
Rachael Thompson is a freelance travel journalist. With a background in design and travel media, Rachael is dedicated to curating content that is as much informational as it is beautiful. She began her career at Belle magazine, before taking up editorial roles at Homes to Love, Bed Threads and Australian Traveller/International Traveller. When she's not writing, editing or optimising content, Rachael enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants, bars and hotels. Next on her Aussie travel wish list is Lord Howe Island.
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Film lovers need to add these Victorian theatres to their bucket list

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    Theatres have always been a cornerstone of regional Victoria, reflecting the character and history of their local communities.

    From grand, gold rush-era masterpieces to Art Deco wonders to repurposed prisons, we’ve rounded up four of Victoria’s best regional theatres to catch a show at next time you’re travelling through.

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat

    Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat 
    Her Majesty’s Theatre in Ballarat has been standing for 150 years. (Image: Michael Pham)

    A monument to the immense gold rush wealth flooding through Ballarat in the second half of the 19th century, Her Majesty’s Theatre (‘Her Maj’ to locals) celebrates its 150th anniversary as the city’s premier performing arts venue this year.

    Built in a classical style and immaculately preserved (thanks largely to a recent $16-million restoration), this Lydiard Street landmark is the oldest continuously operating theatre in mainland Australia, notable for its double balcony and a stage that slopes towards the front, making it one of the most audience-friendly venues in the country to see a show.

    The Capital, Bendigo

    The Capital Theatre, Bendigo
    The Capital in Bendigo was built in 1873 as a Masonic Hall. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Denoted by its distinctive Corinthian columns, more reminiscent of ancient Greece than regional Victoria, The Capital theatre in Bendigo has been through several iterations since the first stone was laid in 1873.

    Originally a Masonic hall, the renaissance revival-style building became a theatre in the 1890s, falling into disrepair for a time during the 1970s, before being restored and reopened (as the Bendigo Regional Arts Centre) in 1991. Today, the 480-seat venue hosts everything from comedy to cabaret to traditional theatre, dance, opera and live music.

     Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo

    a look insideBendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre
    Inside Bendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre, a former prison. (Image: Michael Pham)

    Bendigo has busted out as a regional performing arts hotspot, so it’s fitting that one of its newest venues is housed within a former prison. Meaning ‘meeting place’ or ‘gather together’ in the language of the local Dja Dja Wurrung people, the $26-million, 950-seat auditorium rose from within the red brick walls of the historic Sandhurst Gaol in 2015.

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    Rex Theatre, Charlton

    the Rex Theatre in Charlton
    The 1938-built Rex Theatre in Charlton is an Art Deco gem. (Image: Jenny Pollard)

    Regional theatres don’t come more romantic than this Art Deco gem in the river town of Charlton, in north-central Victoria. Built in 1938, the 350-seat community-owned theatre provides an essential entertainment outlet for residents in the Wimmera Mallee region, as well as visitors making the trip up the Calder Highway from Melbourne.

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