Tasmania's Pooley Syrah takes Best Wine of Show as Sydney Royal turns 200
A Tasmanian Shiraz has won the Shiraz Trophy at the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show – the first time a Tasmanian shiraz has ever won this award.
The history-making wine was Pooley Syrah 2024 (AU$60), from Tasmania's Coal River Valley. It was also named Best Wine of Show. The 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show celebrated, this year, 200 years since wine was first judged at the Agricultural Society of NSW show in 1826.
Pooley Wines' 2024 Syrah collected three trophies in total – Best Wine of Show, Best Red and Best Shiraz. Judges praised the wine for its balance and savoury fruit.
Chair of judges Mike De Iuliis said cool-climate shiraz was the standout of the week, with strong examples from South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. The best shiraz coming out of the Coal River Valley was, he said, "a great reminder that cooler-climate sites are producing some exciting Shiraz in Australia right now."
The show was also marked by, and will be remembered for, the death of English critic Matthew Jukes, who was this year's international guest judge. The international judges' trophy has been renamed in his memory; it was awarded to Oakridge's 864 Close Planted Block Syrah 2024.
Other awards at the 2026 Sydney Royal Wine Show:
Medhurst's 2024 Estate Chardonnay took Best Chardonnay and Best White.
Willunga 100 went back-to-back for Best Grenache and Best Small Producer, this time with the 2025 Blind Spot Vineyard Blewitt Springs Grenache.
First Creek Wines had the deepest haul, its 2017 Single Vineyard Oakey Creek Semillon winning Best Semillon, Best Mature White and Best Single Vineyard, with the 2025 Limited Release Vermentino taking Best Other White Varietal.
De Bortoli's 2022 Deen Botrytis Semillon was Best Sweet White and Best NSW Wine.
Bream Creek's 2025 Pinot Noir gave Tasmania a second trophy.
At the value end, the $22 Whipbird 2025 McLaren Vale GSM was named Best Value Wine of Show, while Aldi's 2026 Freya and Jules Riesling and the 2026 Jacob's Creek Le Petit Rosé – both under AU$15 – won Best Riesling and Best Rosé.
Of 1537 wines entered, 105 were awarded gold medals and roughly 58.5 per cent were awarded a medal of some kind. Trophy, gold and silver winners will be poured at the RAS Grape, Grain & Graze Festival on 19 September.
The winning wine is [Pooley Syrah 2024].
Pooley is a [Mattinson 10-Star Winery].
