Geelong wine producer Wine by Farr is The Real Review’s Winery of the Year for 2025, becoming the fifth consecutive producer from Victoria to achieve the title.
The state’s dominance is even more pronounced in this year’s instalments of the awards, with Victorian wine producers clinching the top four positions. This includes Yarra Yerring, last year’s winner, ranking in second, followed by Levantine Hill in third and Giant Steps in fourth.
Notably, Yarra Yerring, Levantine Hill, and Giant Steps all belong to the same region – the Yarra Valley.
Following Victoria, fifth and sixth place were clinched by South Australian producers Wynns Coonawarra Estate and Yalumba.
“Wynns Coonawarra Estate stood out as the highest-ranked South Australian winery, rising 21 places this year to claim the number five position,” said Huon Hooke, founder of The Real Review. “South Australia again contributed the largest share of the rankings, accounting for just over 35 per cent of the Top Wineries list.”
Despite having only 26 per cent of this year’s 414 Top Wineries, Victoria outperformed South Australia in the top 20 shortlist, with nine wineries placing in the top 20 compared to South Australia’s seven.
A full state-by-state breakdown can be found at the bottom of this article.
Geelong’s Wine by Farr is the overall Winery of the Year for 2025
Wine by Farr’s 2025 win marks a repeat of its 2022 performance. “Wine by Farr is a thoroughly deserving recipient of Winery of the Year,” said Huon Hooke. “Nick Farr and his team continue to produce wines of exceptional quality and character, year after year. Our tastings confirmed this.”
In addition to the Top Wineries ranking, this year marks the first inclusion of eight new category awards celebrating individual talent and specific wine styles. This included Rising Star and Vigneron of the Year awards, as well as style-specific recognition for the best Sparkling, White, Rosé, Red, Sweet, and Fortified wines for 2025.
The inaugural recipients of the Vigneron of the Year title were Sandra and David de Pury of Yarra Valley’s Yerinberg.
Meanwhile, Gareth Belton of Adelaide Hills’ Gentle Folk was named the debut Rising Star of the Year.
Vigneron of the Year: Sandra de Pury (David not pictured) and Rising Star of the Year Gareth Belton
Following this, the winners of the six inaugural wine category awards were:
Sparkling Wine of the Year: House Of Arras Grand Vintage 2016 (Tasmania)White Wine of the Year: Giant Steps Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 (Yarra Valley, VIC)Rosé Wine of the Year: S.C. Pannell Arido Rosé 2024 (McLaren Vale, SA)Red Wine of the Year: Yeringberg 2022 (Yarra Valley, VIC)Sweet Wine of the Year: De Bortoli Noble One 2021 (Riverina, NSW)Fortified Wine of the Year: Chambers Rutherglen Grand Muscat NV (Rutherglen, VIC)
The six wine category award winners
The Founder of The Real Review notes that the strong performance of Victoria and the Yarra Valley in the Top Wineries ranking “is echoed in our new selection of category winners,” with both the White Wine of the Year and the Red Wine of the Year “hail[ing] from the Yarra Valley and reflect[ing] the region’s strength in cool-climate styles.”
A breakdown of state-by-state highlights from the 2025 Winery of the Year awards is as follows:
Victoria:Top four Wineries of the Year Nine of the top 20 wineries26% of Australia’s Top Wineries 2025Top regions: Yarra Valley (6% of Australia’s Top Wineries) and Mornington Peninsula (5%)Notable performer: Giant steps climbed 49 places to 4thSouth Australia:7 of the top 20 wineries36% of Australia’s Top Wineries 2025Top region: Barossa (11% of Australia’s Top Wineries)Notable performer: Wynns increased 21 places to 5thWestern Australia:14% of Australia’s Top Wineries 2025Top region: Margaret River (approx. 9% of Australia’s Top Wineries)Cullen Wines was ranked highest in 9thNew South Wales:14% of Australia’s Top Wineries 2025Top region: Hunter Valley (approx. 6% of Australia’s Top Wineries)Tyrrell’s Wines was ranked highest in 11th, followed by Mount Pleasant in 12thNotable performer: Lake’s Folly climbed 39 places to 29thTasmania: 8% of Australia’s Top WineriesPooley Wines was ranked highest in 23rd