Media release – Halliday Wine Companion, 20 October 2023

HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION’S CHIEF EDITOR, CAMPBELL MATTINSON, ANNOUNCES AUSTRALIA’S TOP 100 WINERIES –

This morning, Halliday Wine Companion announced its highly anticipated Top 100 Wineries 2023 selected by chief editor, Campbell Mattinson, a milestone moment for the authority on Australian wine and an opportunity for wine lovers nationwide to recognise the best of the best.

The newly acclaimed list recognises the finest Australian producers of now who put their wine first in every aspect. Whether it be at the bottle shop or perusing a wine menu, the aim of the Top 100 Wineries list is for consumers to become familiar with the nation’s leaders and revel in their selection of fine wines.

“These are the producers that, essentially, guarantee that you’ll always drink well,” says Campbell Mattinson.

This year’s winners will come as no surprise to wine lovers, with Oakridge in the Yarra Valley taking out top spot, a credit to its consistency and quality across all the wines it produces. South Australian winery Yangarra came a close second with a dominant selection of ‘revolutionary’ wines. Margaret River’s Cullen Wines was listed in seventh spot with a unique on-site offering, and the Hunter Valley was included in the top 10 with Tyrrell’s Wines being recognised for its ‘remarkable’ selection.

The selection was no easy process and required a set list of criteria to ensure wineries had an equal chance to make it on the prestigious Top 100 Wineries list. Each winery had to have recently submitted wines to the Companion and the Halliday Tasting Team, and quality had to be as close to guaranteed as possible. In addition, high scoring wines were of absolute relevance and so too was consistency – if the range of wines isn’t consistently good, then it has been downgraded in calculations.

“Vineyards, varieties, vintages, and sub-regions are critical, of course, but the producer – the decision makers in the process – are of great importance and are often the deciding factor,” says chief editor, Campbell Mattinson.

“In short, this a list of producers who know, in both their heart and in their head, that consumers don’t owe them a living. This is a list of producers who are prepared to stake their reputation on every single wine they release.”

Across the board, Victoria led the vote with 42 wineries included in the Top 100 Wineries including 15 from the Yarra Valley. The list also recognised 28 South Australian wineries with eight set in the Barossa Valley, 13 wineries were included under Western Australia, nine for Tasmania and eight for New South Wales.

A selection of the Top 100 Wineries winners will make their way to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne next month to celebrate the momentous occasion and give consumers an opportunity to taste their award-winning drops and experience the highest level of wine production.

Read the full list here: https://winecompanion.com.au/resources/awards/top-100-wineries/top%20100%20wineries%202023.