The 2027 Halliday Awards judging may have been the sixth of its type, but it was the first to feature camels.
Five of the beasts, plus several alpacas and a Highland cow, provided the backdrop to this year’s event, held over three days last week at Marnong Estate on Melbourne’s northern fringe.
With Halliday Wine Companion’s Head of Tasting (slash newly appointed General Manager) Katrina Butler as moderator, the Halliday Tasting Team – comprising Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Shanteh Wale, Toni Paterson MW, Dave Brookes, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie and Philip Rich – blind-judged 138 wines (the cream of the over 7500 they’d collectively tasted for the 2027 Companion) to determine the best of the best.
Each taster also put forward their nominations for the major Award winners, including Winemaker of the Year, which were discussed at dinner at Marnong’s hatted restaurant La Vietta on the first night.
Unfortunately, we can’t disclose the results until August. But here’s what we can reveal.
The 18 varietal and stylistic categories this year again included wildcard (with red and white category winners this year) and varietal grenache, both introduced for the 2026 Companion, and fiano, judged for the first time as a standalone category.
With nine contenders from across Heathcote, McLaren Vale and the Hunter Valley, it was a strong debut for fiano. But deciding the winner wasn’t quite so easy. The diversity represented in this new category led to rigorous debate between the tasters, particularly when the two wines that emerged as frontrunners represented both ends of the style spectrum.
Shanteh Wale argued that the “beautiful spread of fruit” in one would “encourage more people to discover the wine”. Jeni Port countered that the variety is established enough for drinkers to also enjoy the “savouriness and texture and layers” prevalent in the other. After Toni Paterson MW reminded the team “it’s not our job to set style… I like to be won over by a wine,” both were rejudged and a winner determined.
Both the shiraz and chardonnay brackets were particularly strong this year, as was the other whites category. Sauvignon blanc was another highlight, with the care and dedication winemakers are increasingly showing this variety evident in the line-up.
Once each category winner had been found, the winners were repoured and rejudged to determine the White Wine of the Year, Red Wine of the Year, and ultimately Wine of the Year.
It’s a testament to the overall strength of Australian wine that the results saw winners from all over the country, with both established and emerging producers represented.
We can’t wait to share the results with you on August 20, 2026.
Become a Halliday Wine Companion member to receive details on all the winners on August 20.
And if you join today, we’ll send you a free bottle of shiraz from McLaren Vale winery Dandelion Vineyards, rated 95-points and worth $60 RRP. Join now.
