Show Notes
What really goes into reviewing thousands of Australian wines and selecting the very best for the Halliday Wine Companion?
To celebrate the release of the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion and the annual Halliday Awards, Halliday’s Head of Tasting and General Manager, Katrina Butler, takes us behind the scenes of Australia’s most comprehensive wine guide.
Katrina explains the wine submission process, how the Halliday Tasting Team assesses quality and maintains consistency, and why the reviews are written with everyday wine drinkers in mind.
The conversation also explores score inflation, the value of bronze-medal wines, and how to remain objective when wine tasting is inherently subjective. Katrina reveals how approximately 9000 wines are narrowed down for the Companion and how the country’s best bottles are selected through blind judging.
You’ll also hear how winners are chosen across categories including Winery of the Year, Winemaker of the Year, Best New Winery, Dark Horse Winery and the James Halliday Hall of Fame.
Plus, Katrina and host Anna Webster discuss the current state of Australian wine, the growing diversity of grape varieties, the increasing prominence of women in wine and why the quality of Australian wine has never been stronger.
Halliday Wine Companion Follow Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram Follow Anna Webster on Instagram Follow Katrina Butler on Instagram Order the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion
In this episode: How wineries can submit wines to Halliday Wine Companion
What Halliday’s critics look for when reviewing a wine
Blind tasting versus reviewing wines by producer
How critics manage palate fatigue
The difference between Halliday reviews and wine show judging
How a nine-person Tasting Team maintains consistent scores
Whether score inflation is affecting the 100-point wine system
Why bronze-medal wines deserve more recognition
How approximately 9000 wines are narrowed down for the Companion
How the annual Halliday Wine Companion Awards are judged
What makes a winery worthy of Winery of the Year
The strict criteria wines must meet to be inducted into the Halliday Hall of Fame
How climate change and market conditions are reshaping Australian wine
Why Australian wine belongs on the world stage
Whether you’re a winemaker considering submitting your wines, a collector searching for the best Australian bottles or simply curious about how wine scores and awards are determined, this episode offers a rare look inside the Halliday Wine Companion tasting and judging process.
This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge them as the enduring custodians of this Country, and we recognise their continuing cultural practices of caring for the land and waters. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
We extend that respect to the Traditional Owners of the many lands across Australia and beyond whose wineries and stories we are privileged to share.
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A single glass of Alsatian pinot blanc changed the direction of Eddie McDougall’s life. In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, host Anna Webster sits down with winemaker, entrepreneur, TV personality and founder of The Flying Winemaker, Eddie McDougall. Eddie shares how his upbringing between Hong Kong and Australia, his father’s extraordinary entrepreneurial journey, and an unexpected encounter with wine inspired him to abandon the conventional business career expected of him and pursue winemaking. That decision took him from putting nets on vineyards at Shadowfax to working alongside respected winemakers at O’Leary Walker, Clyde Park and Giant Steps, before travelling to Italy to work at renowned Barolo producer Vietti. Eddie also reveals how he became involved with a pioneering urban winery in Hong Kong, where grapes from regions including the Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Bordeaux, Tuscany and Piedmont were snap-frozen and transported to the city for winemaking. The conversation explores the explosive growth of Hong Kong’s wine market, the rise of Chinese fine wine, changing drinking preferences across Asia and the global perception problem currently facing Australian wine. Eddie explains why Australian wine is too often viewed internationally as either inexpensive and uncomplicated, or represented solely by a handful of famous luxury producers. He believes Australia needs to present its wines with greater confidence, pride and aspiration. Anna and Eddie also delve into the creation of his premium E.J. McDougall label, including its old-vine McLaren Vale Shiraz and Grenache, Margaret River Chardonnay and forthcoming Tasmanian Riesling. They discuss the importance of trusted grower relationships, limited production, international allocations and Eddie’s ambition to produce wines capable of representing Australia on the world stage. Plus, Eddie shares the remarkable story behind The Flying Winemaker television series, his work promoting Chinese wine through the Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards and the philosophy that continues to guide his career. Follow E.J. McDougall on Instagram Explore E.J. McDougall Wines Discover The Flying Winemaker Halliday Wine Companion Follow Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram Follow Anna Webster on Instagram Preorder the 2027 Halliday Wine Companion