Image: Petaluma by Duy Dash
The winners of one of the world’s largest and most influential wine awards have been revealed, and it comes as no surprise to any South Australian wine drinker that we’ve once again ranked among the very best globally.
The Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 (DWWA) presents a range of accolades to wines and winemakers around the world, highlighting a commitment to the pinnacle of wine production.
Australia was a standout in the awards, winning 643 medals, including 76 top-tier medals and four Best in Show. South Australia was the country’s best-performing region, making up for almost half of the winnings, with an impressive haul of 309 medals. These included two of the coveted Best in Show for wines from Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley, areas that have historically performed well at the awards.
Wirra Wirra’s 2024 ‘The 12th Man Chardonnay’ was awarded Best in Show and was pretty popular among the judges.
“Adelaide Hills Chardonnay has made five appearances in our Best in Show selection, one more than Western Australia’s Margaret River has notched up; these are clearly landmark regions not just in national but also global terms for Chardonnay-lovers,” shared the judging panel.
Wirra Wirra’s chief winemaker Emma Wood shared, “It’s a great result for our team in the cellar and vineyard teams to get this global recognition. As a winery, we’ve been making white wine in the Adelaide Hills since 2003. When I started in 2022, 12th Man Chardonnay was one of the wines that blew me away with how good it was, it flies under the radar.
“Adelaide Hills Chardonnay is now on the global fine wine radar, and there are so many great wines coming out of the Hills. For The 12th Man to stand alongside a Grand Cru Chablis as one of the best Chardonnays in the world is an emphatic statement about how far the region has come.”
Another favourite and Best in Show was the Barossa Old Vine Company’s 2022 Shiraz.
“The magnetic appeal of Barossa Shiraz has made it a favourite down the years for our Best in Show selection (four appearances as a varietal, plus a role in two winning blends),” said the judges.
The Judging panel is made up of 248 wine experts, including 22 Master Sommeliers and 72 Masters of Wine from 35 countries. This year, wines from 57 different countries participated, undergoing meticulous evaluations to receive the coveted awards.
The highest accolades at the DWWA consist of the 50 Best in Show and Platinum and Gold medals, all of which require scores of 95 points or more. In 2025, the competition introduced a magnum category for all sparkling wines, having been limited to Champagne over the past three years. With the change in rules, an English sparkling wine won the Best in Show in this new category.
A few other SA locals ranked among these top awards. Heirloom Vineyards was awarded a platinum award and 97 points for their 2023 Shiraz. Penfolds was awarded a gold award and 95 points for their Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petaluma got the same score for their Anova Chardonnay.
Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago shared, “The 2022 Bin 407 ticks all Cabernet Sauvignon boxes … a stellar South Australian vintage that excelled across all of this blend’s key sourcing regions – Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale, Padthaway and the Barossa Valley. We’re delighted that Decanter Magazine has endorsed this release – one of our favourites – with quite a drinking journey awaiting!”
Petaluma’s winemaker Ben Thoman also shared, “It’s an incredible justification for all the hard work and dedication that goes into every stage, from vineyard to bottle. So many hands are involved in bringing a wine like this to life, and this award is a brilliant result that everyone in our team can be proud of. These wines are judged blind by experienced critics and tasted alongside entries from all over the world, so it’s both humbling and exciting to be recognised in that context.”
Outside of Australia, France led the charge with a total of 187 top-scoring medals. The country’s Champagne region was particularly successful, securing numerous top awards. The United Kingdom achieved notable results, including the Best in Show for a magnum of sparkling wine. Greece celebrated its first-ever Best in Show winners from regions like Peloponnese and Epanomi. Argentina, Chile, and South Africa each also garnered attention for their quality and value, with Argentina showing a substantial increase in top-tier medals.
DWWA’s rigorous judging process and diverse range of entries from around the globe highlight the unique and prestigious nature of the awards, celebrating excellence across the entire spectrum of the wine industry.
For more information and to check out the rest of the winners, click here.
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