Winners of the Sydney Royal Wine Show. Image courtesy Royal Agricultural Society of NSW
The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW unveiled the winners of its Sydney Royal Wine Show at a celebratory lunch on Friday, with this year’s winners highlighting that premium quality wines don’t always come with a premium price tag.
Taking home The Tucker Seabrook Perpetual Trophy for Best Wine of Show, was Abbey Vale Wines’ 2023 Abbey Vale Premium RSV Cabernet Sauvignon – a wine retailing for $27.
“Australian wineries are producing world-class wines for every budget, and the Abbey Vale Premium RSV Cabernet Sauvignon is a great reflection of that,” said chair of judges, Mike De Iuliis.
This year’s show assessed over 1,500 wines, with 103 gold medals awarded across five states and 23 wine regions.
The Albert Chan Memorial Prize for Best White was won by the 2023 Evans & Tate Ellens Estate Chardonnay, marking the third consecutive year that an Evans & Tate Chardonnay has claimed this award. Chardonnay emerged as the standout varietal at the 2025 show, earning more gold medals than any other varietal.
South Australia received the highest number of gold medals, narrowly beating out Western Australia; however, Margaret River stole the crown as the most decorated individual wine region, taking home almost half of the trophies awarded this year.
“It was great to see the major awards being spread across the different Australian regions, showcasing the depth and diversity of wine quality throughout the country. The healthy competition between these areas continues to elevate standards and drive excellence,” said De Iuliis.
“Some regions continue to demonstrate their strength in key varietals. The Hunter Valley’s renowned Semillons were once again a standout in their category, while South Australia dominated Grenache with an impressive eight gold medals.
“A particularly exciting area of this year’s show were the “red blend” classes, where we’re seeing some fantastic new blends being made with purpose and precision. It’s a dynamic area of the Australian wine market at the moment, and we’re seeing a rise of new and innovative players.”
One standout story is that of Orange region’s Byrne Farm, who only began their wine journey in 2020 with the planting of their first vineyard block. Their rise within the industry saw them take home this year’s Arthur Kelman Perpetual Trophy for Best Shiraz Dominant Blend – an extraordinary achievement in just their second year entering the competition.
Other notable highlights this year included De Bortoli Wines, Jim Barry Wines, and Stella Bella, each earning trophies for two different wines. De Bortoli Wines impressed in the Other Red Varietal and Other Red Blend categories with its Sangiovese and Tempranillo Touriga, while Stella Bella claimed top honours for Best White Blend and Best Rosé. Jim Barry Wines took out the prize for Best Shiraz, while its Riesling was recognised with the Best Value Wine award.
“We were extremely happy with the standard of wines showcased this year. We awarded 1,067 medals, which means that approximately two-thirds of entries received a medal of some colour,” said De Iuliis.
“It’s a strong reflection of the industry’s momentum as we look ahead to next year and the milestone celebration of 200 years of the Sydney Royal Wine Show in 2026.”
The public will have the opportunity to taste wines from the Sydney Royal Wine Show, including medal and trophy winners, at the Grape, Grain & Graze Festival, held at Sydney Showground on Saturday, 20 September.
For more info on this year’s winners, or on the Sydney Royal Wine Show please visit the website.
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