Australia ‘Nation of Show’ at the Global Fine Wine Challenge 2025
Huon Hooke in Free for all Become a member to view this article
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The Global Fine Wine Challenge judges and stewards. Global Fine Wine Challenge
Australia has excelled at the 2025 Global Fine Wine Challenge, which was judged in Sydney in August with four nations entering: South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
Australia was ‘Nation of Show’, scooping the pool with eight of the 19 trophies, in addition to awards for best red, best sparkling and best wine of show. New Zealand and South Africa both scored five trophies, and Canada one.
Australia was ‘Nation of Show’, scooping the pool with eight of the 19 trophies, in addition to awards for best red, best sparkling and best wine of show.Of the Runner-Up Double Gold Medals, Australia won eight, the other three countries four each. Runner-Up is the second-highest scoring wine in each of the 19 categories.
In the Double Gold Medals, Australia and New Zealand both won 14, and South Africa and Canada won 10 each.
Gold Medals: Australia 20, New Zealand 21, South Africa 16, Canada 11.
On aggregate points, Australia was clearly the top country of the show.
The big winner was Ten Minutes by Tractor, of the Mornington Peninsula, which won best pinot noir, best red wine and best wine of show with its 2022 McCutcheon Pinot Noir.
Judging is done totally ‘blind’, and this wine sparked some discussion, with three of us guessing the wine was a Kiwi. Only one of the four judges (Jane Skilton MW of New Zealand, Chris Waters of Canada, Andrea Pritzker MW filling in for South African Michael Fridjhon, and myself) thought it could be Australian. It was quite deeply coloured and powerful, and looked more like a Central Otago pinot. A magnificent wine and a nice surprise for me, as the selector of the Aussie wines.
Brown Brothers Patricia 2018 Pinot Noir Chardonnay Brut won the trophy for best sparkling wine. The other Australian trophy winners were:
- Haddow & Dineen Grain of Truth Pinot Gris 2024
- Bimbadgen Estate Palmers Lane Semillon 2014
- Eisenstone Greenock Shiraz SR801 2022
- Lake Breeze Malbec 2022
- Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2019
- Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Rutherglen Muscat NV
New Zealand’s Greystone Organic Riesling 2024 won best riesling and best white wine of show.
Ten Minutes by Tractor also excelled with a second pinot: the Trahere Pinot Noir 2022 won a Double Gold.
Other Aussie Double Golds went to Devil’s Corner Resolution Riesling 2023, Pikes The Merle Reserve Riesling 2022, Yalumba The Virgilius Viognier 2023, Pike & Joyce The Kay Reserve Chardonnay 2023, Domaine Naturaliste Artus Chardonnay 2023, Nicola Estate Regional Chenin Blanc 2023, Lowestoft Jacoben Pinot Noir 2022, Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz 2022, Cape Mentelle Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Penfolds Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Mount Horrocks Nero d’Avola 2023, Hewitson Old Garden Mourvèdre 2021, Hayes Family Wines Stone Well Block 3 Mataro 2022, Fighting Gully Road La Longa Sangiovese 2019.
The GFWC has been an annual, invitation-only, event since 2003 when it began as the Tri- Nations Wine Challenge between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It has also involved Chile, Argentina and the USA in recent years, but due to logistical difficulties the participating countries have varied.
It works this way: one wine professional from each participating nation supplies a list of 130 wines, which can be spread at the selector’s whim across 19 varietal and style categories. The makers of these wines are invited to enter them. This year those selectors were Michael Fridjhon for South Africa, Jane Skilton MW for New Zealand, Christopher Waters for Canada and myself for Australia. Those would usually also be the judges, convening in Sydney for a week to judge all of the wines, but this year Andrea Pritzker MW stood in as Michael Fridjhon was unavailable at the last moment.
No medals below Gold are awarded at this show, and only 155 wines won awards out of approximately 520 judged.A Trophy is awarded for the best wine in each of the 19 categories. The next-best wine is awarded Runner-Up Double Gold, then several Double Gold and single Gold medals may be awarded, the numbers varying according to the quality and depth of the class.
Values are allotted to each of these levels and the numbers totalled at the end of judging to arrive at the Nation of Show.
Finally, a trophy judging is held to decide Best White Wine, Best Red Wine, and Wine of Show.
No medals below Gold are awarded at this show, and only 155 wines won awards out of approximately 520 judged. It is truly a ‘best of the best’ competition.
Full results will be posted on September 26 on the Global Fine Wine Challenge website.