By Dongyun Kwon
The Yarra Valley wineries surprised the national wine industry as four local wineries won awards in different categories including two major awards.
Celebrating the very best in Australian wine, the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion Awards recognised the nation’s top wines, winemakers, viticulturists and wineries.
Giant Steps Wine (GSW) won the Winery of the Year and Pinot Noir of the Year with its Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023.
Having been shortlisted for Winery of the Year in both 2023 and 2024, GSW’s receipt of this top honour in 2025 has solidified its position as a world-class producer of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
GSW general manager and head winemaker Melanie Chester said it’s wonderful to see the dedication and hard work of the entire GSW team acknowledged in such a profound way.
“Giant Steps has always had an unwavering commitment to creating high quality wines that tell the stories of our sites, which we see as some of the most exciting vineyards in the country,” she said.
“It was a real thrill to see our winery next to the list of nominees, and now to stand among the past winners feels like a recognition of the consistency and quality that we work hard to produce.”
In addition to being named Winery of the Year, GSW has also been awarded Best Pinot Noir for the second year in a row for the Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Planted by respected viticulturist Ray Guerin in 1997 and acquired by GSW in 2013, the Applejack Vineyard is a unique site located on a dramatic slope in the upper Yarra Valley.
The eastern aspect and high-altitude results in an extended growing season, ideally suited to Pinot Noir as well as Chardonnay.
The Applejack Pinot Noir is one of the most anticipated releases from GSW.
Ms Chester said Applejack Vineyard is truly exceptional and it’s one of the great Pinot Noir sites in the country.
“Receiving the award for Pinot Noir of the Year for the second consecutive year is a testament to Ray Guerin’s excellent site selection and to our crew, who tend the vineyard and know how to get the best from it,” she said.
“Both the Winery of the Year and Best Pinot Noir awards represent the collective effort and
dedication from our team to keep improving and increasing the quality of the grapes we grow and the wines we bottle each year.
“I am proud to work with such a talented and devoted group of people and look forward to honouring them while celebrating these awards.”
Yarra Yering (YY) received two awards for its red wines; Shiraz of the Year (Red Wine of the Year), and Other Reds and Blends of the Year.
YY general manager and winemaker Sarah Crowe said her team is pleased for the recognition.
“What’s nice is that making wine is always a team effort, and it’s the accumulation of everybody’s work to get this recognition,” she said.
“It helps us to form an even stronger bond as a team.”
YY Dry Red Wine No. 2 2022 won Shiraz of the Year (Red Wine of the Year) with 99 points, and YY Dry Red Wine No. 3 2022 won Other Reds and Blends of the Year with 98 points.
Ms Crowe said Dry Red Wine No. 2 has soft tannins while Dry Red Wine No. 3 is much firmer.
“The Dry Red Wine No. 2 is Shiraz dominant blend. It has a few other varieties in there, such as Viognier and Mataro, and they just bring that extra complexity and layers to the wine,” she said.
“It’s 96 per cent Shiraz, so it really does lead with that Shiraz, and there’s wonderful softness and generosity to the 2022 vintage.
“The Dry Red Wine No. 3 is an unusual blend for Australia. It has six Portuguese varieties in it, and it’s extremely floral, but also quite a firm wine with many tannins.
“We really work hard to get this wonderful fruit flesh palette to compliment the tannins in that wine.”
Next week, Star Mail will continue this story covering the other two winners, Oakridge Wines and Mount Mary.
