The team at Hahndorf Hill Winery is raising a glass (or several) after taking out a huge international award in Germany. Their 2023 Reserve Grüner Veltliner has just been crowned Best Wine from Australia at the Frankfurt International Wine Trophy 2025, and they’re still wrapping their heads around it.
“I actually had to call Frankfurt to double-check the email,” laughs co-owner Marc Dobson.
“I didn’t fully understand what they were telling me. Then they said our Grüner wasn’t just the top Australian wine, it was the highest-rated Grüner overall, even against the ones from Austria and Germany. That was a bit of a jaw-drop moment.”
The award is a major win not just for the winery, but for the Adelaide Hills as a region. Known for its cool climate, varied soils and quality-driven producers, it’s quietly been building a name for itself with alternative varietals like Grüner Veltliner, a white grape that’s hugely popular in Austria.
Hahndorf Hill was the first to plant Grüner Veltliner in South Australia, bringing the variety to the Adelaide Hills back in 2008. Marc Dobson and Larry Jacobs saw its potential early on, and that move helped spark an exciting shift in local winemaking. Today, Grüner has found a real home in the Hills, with more producers now following their lead.
“We’ve been working with Grüner for about 16 years now,” says Larry Jacobs, who co-founded the winery with his partner Marc.
“It’s a variety we love, and the 2023 Reserve really hit its stride. It’s richer, more textured and more of a ‘sit-down and sip’ kind of wine,” Larry said.
“We make it in a similar style to top white Burgundies, which gives it a beautiful complexity and depth.”
It turns out 2023 was the perfect vintage to show off what this grape can do in Aussie soil.
“We had a really stable growing season,” Larry explains.
“No weird weather during flowering, nice cool ripening, and lower yields—all of that adds up to excellent fruit.”
This isn’t Hahndorf Hill’s first big win on the global stage. Their 2019 Grüner was the highest-rated at the Decanter World Wine Awards a few years back, and they’ve had glowing reviews from Austrian wine publications, too. But this latest trophy feels like a real turning point.
“It shows that Grüner isn’t just a novelty down here in Australia, it’s becoming part of the Adelaide Hills’ identity,” Marc adds.
“It’s already the fifth most harvested white variety in the Hills region. That’s happened pretty quickly, and there are a lot of other producers doing great things with it, too.”
The response from locals has been just as exciting.
“Incredible,” Marc says. “So many people have reached out with congratulations. It means a lot.”
And for those who haven’t tried the award-winning drop yet? Larry sums it up in five words: “Deliciously complex, full, yet vibrant.”
Hahndorf Hill Winery
Where: 38 Pain Rd, Hahndorf
When: Monday to Saturday from 10am-5pm. They are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
For more info, click here.
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