It may not have been our usual awards night, but glittering events are so last year. Much like parties in Melbourne.

Instead, we celebrated the release of the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion and the best of Australia’s wine industry in an online broadcast. In doing so, almost 4000 people tuned into the event, with many also hosting viewing parties for the occasion. Obviously not in Melbourne.

The annual book release and awards are some of the most exciting things we do each year, and we always love talking to the people behind the wines. Inside this issue, you’ll learn more about the winners and the mammoth process that goes into the book’s creation, and get a rundown of the stellar wines that each topped their varietal categories.

Also in this edition, we talk to cricket great Ricky Ponting, who’s mad about wine. We check in on grenache, which is finding a home in new states and regions, plus we talk to a handful of producers in the Barossa Valley who are determined to do things their way. Jane Parkinson takes us to France’s Jura, which makes wines that are hot favourites among those in the know, Jane Faulkner visits Victoria’s Crittenden Estate for a tasting of savagnin, and James Halliday rediscovers some long-lost wines in his cellar, which inspires a little reflection.

It can feel like we don’t have much to cheer about right now, but the sheer number of shining producers in the new Companion reveals an industry collectively on the rise, which can only mean many more brilliant wines lie ahead. And that’s definitely something to celebrate.

Cheers,