It’s been a hugely successful awards season for Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia, whose wineries have scooped a string of impressive awards across wine, culinary and tourism categories on a state, national and global level. These awards showcase the excellence across the Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia collective.  

WINE 

In the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, Seppeltsfield took out the inaugural 2024 Hall of Fame award for its 100-Year-Old Para Vintage Tawny 1923, whilst De Bortoli was awarded Sweet Wine of the Year for its Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2020. Halliday’s praises continued at the annual James Halliday Cabernet and Chardonnay Challenge, where Brokenwood, St Hugo and Swinging Bridge scooped trophies for their Chardonnays, as did Yalumba and d’Arenberg for their Cabernet Sauvignons. The Royal Sydney Wine Show yielded six trophies for five Ultimate Wineries - Montalto, Yalumba, St Hugo, House of Arras and De Bortoli - but it was Montalto’s 2022 Pennon Hill Pinot Noir that stole the show with two trophies: Best Pinot Noir and Best Red Wine of Show. 

The results from the 2023 Australian Sparkling Wine Show are worth raising a glass to, with seven categories taken out by Ultimate Wineries: three by Brown Brothers, two by House of Arras, one by De Bortoli and one by Jacob’s Creek. Our South Australian wineries triumphed at the 2023 Barossa Wine Show, with St Hugo and Seppeltsfield both winning three trophies and Jacob’s Creek and Yalumba winning one each. Swinging Bridge and Printhie Wines dominated at the Orange Wine Show in regional New South Wales, whilst Mandoon Estate won five trophies - including Most Successful Producer - at the Swan Valley Wine Show in Western Australia.  

The coveted Royal Adelaide Wine Show saw nine major trophies for the Ultimate Wineries - including two each for Penfolds and Brokenwood - whilst Tyrrell’s and Gemtree both took home two trophies each at the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards, alongside fellow trophy winners House of Arras and De Bortoli. The New South Wales Wine Awards yielded a very special result - the 2022 Graham Gregory Award for outstanding contribution to the NSW wine industry, which was awarded to Tom Ward from Swinging Bridge in Orange, along with trophy wins by Brokenwood and Printhie. Brown Brothers and De Bortoli collectively scooped 11 trophies at the 2023 Victorian Wine Awards, and at the 2023 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships, Tasmanian sparkling experts House of Arras clinched the Best Australian Sparkling Wine award with their A by Arras Premium Cuvée Brut. 

CULINARY  

In the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards, Printhie Dining in Orange was awarded its first Chef Hat. This award is a fitting accolade for the culinary wizardry of Chef Jack Brown, who draws  inspiration from Australian native flavours and premium local ingredients. In The Age Good Food Guide Awards, Ten Minutes by Tractor was awarded an exceptional two Chef Hats for its innovative menu that connects food, wine, and nature using the highest quality seasonal and local ingredients, whilst both Brown Brothers Milawa and Montalto’s restaurants were awarded one Chef Hat. At the Western Australia Good Food Guide Awards, Margaret River’s Ultimate Wineries dominated with Vasse Felix taking out Regional Restaurant of the Year, and both Leeuwin Estate and Voyager Estate making the top 100 restaurants. The 2023 Restaurant & Catering Association Hostplus Awards for Excellence saw several winners and medallists, including Josef Chromy in Tasmania and d’Arenberg in McLaren Vale. 

TOURISM 

In the tourism space, two Ultimate Wineries secured major awards at the 2023 South Australian Tourism Awards, with d’Arenberg winning Best Tourist Attraction for the d’Arenberg Cube and Seppeltsfield taking out the Tourism Wineries category. This flows on from another South Australian win, with biodynamic producer Gemtree Wines taking home the prestigious Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices Award at the South Australian Best of Wine Tourism Awards, which saw them represent Adelaide and South Australia at the Global Best Of Wine Tourism Awards in Lausanne, Switzerland, during the Great Wine Capitals Annual Meeting and Conference in October. Meanwhile, Stanton and Killeen achieved remarkable success at the 2023 Wine Communicators of Australia Awards, securing victory for Best Wine Marketing Communication Campaign, and Best Wine Serial Publication. 

Published 5 December 2023.