Sarah Crowe, Yarra Yering winemaker

Yarra Valley producer Yarra Yering has been crowned this year’s Winery of the Year Australia in the Top Wineries of Australia list, a ranking determined by industry publication The Real Review. The results mark the fourth consecutive win for Victorian wineries and follow an intensive tasting of over 10,000 wines over the course of a year, reviewed by a panel of Australia’s top critics.

2024 is the seventh year of the Top Wineries of Australia ranking. Yarra Yering has returned to the top spot, having taken the trophy back in 2021. Completing the top five ranking of this year’s list are Henschke (#2, Eden Valley, SA), Wine by Farr (#3, Geelong, VIC), Penfolds (#4, South Australia) and last year’s winner, Oakridge (#5, Yarra Valley, VIC).

“Achieving ‘Winery of the Year Australia’ status for the second time is a testament to winemaker Sarah Crowe’s exceptional talent, the hard work of the vineyard team led by Andrew George, and the consistent outstanding calibre of wines that Yarra Yering deliver year after year,” said Australian wine critic and The Real Review’s principal wine writer, Huon Hooke.

“In the 2024 ranking, several of Yarra Yering’s wines separated them from the pack, including its Carrodus Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, which achieved a jaw-dropping 99 points, its stellar 2022 Chardonnay and its famous Dry Red Wine No 1 Cabernet Blend.”

“Barossa remains Australia’s wine powerhouse, with ten producers making it into the top 50 alone. Despite having fewer hectares of vines compared to some other regions, Barossa boasts the most wineries on the list, recognition and tourists. Big reds are the order of the day in this region. In this year’s list, excitement comes not only from the established wineries such as Seppeltsfield, Rockford and Torbreck but also relative newcomers like Eisenstone, Hentley Farm and John Duval Wines.”

Sarah Crowe, winemaker and general manager of Yarra Yering said receiving the accolade for a second time was “a tremendous achievement”.

“Australia’s top producers are extremely skilled in both viticulture and winemaking and excel at their craft on a global scale. This acknowledgement of quality across our portfolio is reflective of our unwavering commitment to producing wines of exceptional quality and showcasing our distinctive terroir.”

The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia list is released annually to highlight excellence in Australian wine. To ensure consistency, the ranking is determined by a proprietary algorithm, which considers the rating and recency of reviews by The Real Review’s panel of critics over two years. Producers on the annual list receive a Top Wineries Certificate to showcase their standing amongst the nation’s best.

This year, just 394 producers received a Top Wineries Certificate, representing approximately 16% of Australia’s wineries. The full list of Top Wineries of Australia 2024 can be found at www.therealreview.com

As part of the announcement of this year’s Top Wineries of Australia list, wine lovers will have the chance to meet with a number of this year’s Top 100 wineries at events in Sydney and Melbourne in June and July. In each city, a major tasting event will take place, with winemakers from across the country in one room showing more than 120 of their top wines for ticket holders to try.

In addition to the tasting, Huon Hooke will host dinner events and masterclasses in Melbourne and Sydney. A curated list of wines matched to the menus will be available for a limited number of ticket holders.

State Results:

South Australia

2024 was another outstanding showing for South Australian wineries making up over 38.1% of the 394-strong list. Barossa Valley triumphed within the state, with 10 of its producers ranking within the top 52 and seven from neighbouring McLaren Vale. The region’s highest-ranking wineries included Henschke (#2), Penfolds (#4), Seppeltsfield (#6), and Hentely Farm (#9). The state also saw many ‘big movers’ including Yalumba (up to #15 from #42), Dandelion Vineyards (up to #27 from #169) and Hickinbotham (up to #28 from #166)

Victoria

Aside from achieving the top spot four years in a row, Victoria contributed heavily to the list this year, with its wineries taking a 26.6% share of the 384 listings. Stand-out Victorian wineries included Yarra Yering (#1), Wine by Farr (#3), Oakridge (#5), and Bindi (#7). Regionally, Yarra Valley leads the pack of Victorian wine regions, with five of its wineries ranking in the top 52.

Western Australia

Margaret River wineries Cullen and Moss Wood represented Western Australia, making it into the top 52 shortlist at #8 and #46, respectively. Western Australia achieved a 15% share of the full list.

New South Wales

New South Wales contributed 48 out of the 394 wineries, giving it a 12.2% share of the list. Hunter Valley provided the lion’s share of top performers, with Tyrell’s ranking the highest at #12, followed closely by Mount Pleasant at #14 and Brokenwood at #16. A notable entry was De Salis marking the Orange region’s top entrant onto the list.

Tasmania

Despite having a comparatively small total number of wineries compared to other regions, Tasmania earned an impressive 32 entrants on the list, giving it a 8.1% share of Australia’s Top Wineries. Shining stars of the region include Tolpuddle (#10), Pooley (#23), Stargazer (#47), and Chatto Wines (#52). Notably, Stargazer moved up the ranking to #47 from its position of #114 last year, with Winemaker Sam Connew’s Palisander Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 proving a stand-out.

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