Yarra Valley producer Yarra Yering has been crowned The Real Review's Winery of the Year 2024, becoming the fourth consecutive producer from Victoria to do so. Two further Victorian wineries placed within the top five, with Wine by Farr ranking third and Oakridge fifth. South Australian wineries Henschke and Penfolds landed in second and fourth respectively.
2024 marks the second time Yarra Yering has won the top prize in the prestigious annual awards, following on from its 2021 result.
“To be named The Real Review’s number one Top Winery for a second time is a tremendous achievement for our small and dedicated team at Yarra Yering,” said Sarah Crowe, Winemaker and General Manager of Yarra Yering.
“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 final results were decided upon following an intensive tasting of over 10,000 wines conducted by a tasting panel headed by Huon Hooke, The Real Review’s Principal Wine Writer.
“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 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.”
The recognition lands at a pivotal moment for many Australian wineries that are looking for an edge over competition as they re-enter the Chinese market.
Once again, 2024 showed that South Australia continues to dominate Australia’s premium wine market, representing 38.1% of the 394-strong list. Within this, Barossa led with 10 producers within the top 52 followed by McLaren Vale with seven.
"Barossa remains Australia's wine powerhouse, with 10 producers making it into the top 50 alone,” said Hooke.
“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.”
Victoria took home the second highest share with 26.6% of the 394 top winery listings. Interestingly, three out of its five wineries in the top 52 shortlist were ranked in the top 10, with Bindi, seventh, trailing Yarra Yering and Wine by Farr.
Following South Australia and Victoria was Western Australia with 15% representation, New South Wales with 12.2%, and Tasmania with 8.1%.
As part of the awards, The Real Review will be hosting a major tasting event, dinners and masterclasses across Melbourne and Sydney this June and July. These events will present attendees with the opportunity to meet with a number of this year’s Top 100 wineries along with the chance to trial their winning wines.
The scheduled events are as followed:
Melbourne:
Top Wineries of Australia 2024 Tasting: Saturday, June 29, Ormond Hall, Melbourne VIC
Ticket price: $99-225
Top Wineries of Australia 2024 Dinner : Tuesday, July 2, Matilda, South Yarra VIC
Ticket price: $249
Sydney:
Top Wineries of Australia 2024 Tasting: Saturday, July 6, Ovolo Hotel, Woolloomooloo NSW
Tickets: $99 – $225
Top Wineries of Australia 2024 Dinner: Tuesday, July 9, Poetica Bar & Grill Mezzanine, North Sydney NSW
Tickets: $249
To learn more or to buy tickets visit here.
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