There are hundreds of wine competitions around the world, but the Decanter World Wine Awards is the pinnacle. So when five Aussie wines take home the bragging rights of Best In Show, can we say that Australian wine is the best in the world?
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Living in Australia, we’re in a bit of an echo chamber when it comes to wine. Aussie wine has a habit of locking you in and convincing you that it’s not really worth trying wine from other countries. I mean, why would you when all the best stuff is right here.
For us, we certainly reach for an Aussie wine over international labels when we’re in the bottle shop.
Of course, there are many more wine regions beyond Australia’s soil, but when what’s widely recognised as one of the world’s most trusted wine awards bestows its highest accolade on not one, not two, but five Aussie wines, you have to start believing the hype, right?
What Are The Decanter World Wine Awards?
Often seen as the ‘Olympics of wine’, the London-based Decanter World Wine Awards have been going since 2004.
Applicants have their wines judged through rigorous blind tasting by a massive roster of global experts, including Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and top buyers.
Wines at the Decanter Awards go through a multi-stage judging process starting with Bronze, Silver and Gold medals. Gold medal winners are then re-tasted to advance to Platinum, and then Platinum winners are tested again to determine the coveted ‘Best In Show’.
In 2026, only the top 0.03% of the 14,000+ entries progressed to take home a Best In Show award. Incredibly, five Aussie wines achieved this status, putting them in an incredible list of the best 50 wines in the world.
Wine Winners On The International Stage
Australia made up 630 of the 14,082 entries in the DWWA 2026, but five managed to pass through the intensive scrutiny of the judges, each scoring 97 points to reach the hallowed heights of Best In Show.
The five Aussie Best In Show winners were:
– Pewsey Vale Vineyard‘s Estate Riesling 2025 from the Eden Valley, SA
– Dalrymple Vineyards’ Single Site Pipers River Pinot Noir 2024 from Pipers River, TAS
– Ferngrove Wines‘ The Orchard Collection Dragon Shiraz 2023 from Frankland River, WA
– Deep Woods Estate’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 from Margaret River, WA
– Brokenwood Wines’ ILR Reserve Semillon 2019 from Hunter Valley, NSW
New Zealand also had two wines reach Best In Show status: Villa Maria Wines‘ Ngakirikiri Cabernet Merlot 2021 and Rapaura Springs Wines’ ROHE Sauvignon Blanc 2025.
Pewsey Vale Vineyard’s Estate Riesling 2025
The only Riesling in the top 50 wines of the 2026 Decanter Awards, Pewsey Vale’s winner is an icon of the varietal.
Pale yellow with tinges of green, this Riesling is packed with lime and grapefruit citrus aromas. With a long finish and a bountiful balanced acidity, the wine delivers plenty of lovely fresh floral and herbal notes beneath its lemony front palate.
Pewsey Vale has been specialising in Eden Valley Riesling since 1847 and have honed their craft to a razor edge over the years.
Pewsey Vale Vineyard Estate Riesling 2025 is available nationally at selected major and
independent retailers, and via Pewsey Vale Vineyard’s online store (RRP $28).
Click here to see the full tasting and winemaker’s notes.
Dalrymple Vineyards’ Pipers River Pinot Noir 2024
The only Best In Show Southern Hemisphere Pinot Noir of 2026, Dalrymple Vineyards’ Single Site Pipers River 2024 is an archetype of cool-climate Aussie Pinot.
A rich, pleasingly purple hue, this wine is packed with all the good bits of a brilliantly made Pinot. Cherry and plum notes, as well as hints of cinnamon and star anise, build with every sniff and sip.
Moreish savoury notes develop the more you drink and the longer this bottle’s open as does a lovely soft texture and finish.
Dalrymple Vineyards Single Site Estate Pipers River Pinot Noir 2024 is available via
Dalrymple Vineyards’ online store and will be available nationally from selected retailers
from August 1 2026 (RRP $80).
Click here to see the full tasting and winemaker’s notes.
Hill-Smith Estate
Despite being in two different states and two very different wine regions, both Pewsey Vale Vineyard and Dalrymple Vineyards are in fact part of the same over-arching estate.
As well as these two, family-owned Hill-Smith Family Estate has some household names in its wine folio, not least Janz Tasmania, Oxford Landing and Yalumba.
Wine Awards Aren’t For Everyone
First of all, huge congratulations to Hill-Smith Estate and to all the winners of the DWWA Best In Show. What an amazing achievement. It’s so good for the Australian and NZ wine industries.
However, it’s important to remember that wine awards aren’t the be all and end all. Even with over 14,000 different wines from around the world competing in DWWA 2026, entering awards may not be viable for every winery. This means there are still so many more incredible wines out there to discover.
DWWA entry is £172 per wine, not including freight costs, so lots of independent wineries won’t be able to or don’t want to absorb this cost, nor go through the rigmarole of applying and registering for awards.
And let’s not forget, wine is incredibly subjective even on the palates of world renowned experts.
But this is why it’s important to learn what you like, to try different wine and to only use the medals a label as a starting point when you’re exploring a new bottle.
