{"id":7336,"date":"2026-01-06T14:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/7336\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T14:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T14:32:08","slug":"wines-of-the-year-2025-australia-new-zealand-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/7336\/","title":{"rendered":"Wines of the Year 2025: Australia, New Zealand & South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wines of the Year 2025: Australia, New Zealand & South Africa – Decanter<\/p>\n

{“api”:{“host”:”https:\\\/\\\/pinot.decanter.com”,”authorization”:”Bearer ZjQwMGNkMzE3MjM4MGJjYzhmNGU5Yzg4ZDVhZGVhODA0MjRlYzI4OGI3N2YxMGNhYjlmMmRmYzcwYTc5Yzg0Mw”,”version”:”2.0″},”piano”:{“sandbox”:”false”,”aid”:”6qv8OniKQO”,”rid”:”RJXC8OC”,”offerId”:”OFPHMJWYB8UK”,”offerTemplateId”:”OFPHMJWYB8UK”,”wcTemplateId”:”OTOW5EUWVZ4B”}}<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Julie<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tJulie Sheppard
\n\t\t\t <\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 6, 2026 <\/p>\n

Choosing just three bottles to represent the dynamism and diversity of Australian wine right now was made even harder by the calibre of the contenders.<\/p>\n

Penfolds, for example, had 15 wines scoring 95 points or more in Decanter tastings in 2025, with two vintages of Grange (1990 and 2021) awarded 99pts.<\/p>\n

But my choices for Wines of the Year 2025 reflect the younger wineries and newer-wave styles that made me really excited during the year.<\/p>\n

{“content”:”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”}<\/p>\n

Wines of the year 2025: Australia, New Zealand & South Africa<\/p>\n

\n {}\n<\/p>\n

{“wineId”:”90891″,”displayCase”:”standard”,”paywall”:true}<\/p>\n

{“wineId”:”100084″,”displayCase”:”standard”,”paywall”:true}<\/p>\n

{“wineId”:”88170″,”displayCase”:”standard”,”paywall”:true}<\/p>\n

{“wineId”:”95189″,”displayCase”:”standard”,”paywall”:true}<\/p>\n

{“wineId”:”98021″,”displayCase”:”standard”,”paywall”:true}<\/p>\n

\n {}\n<\/p>\n

Related content
\nMy South African wine highlights of 2025<\/a>
\nNew Zealand Pinot Noir Report 2025<\/a>
\nHenschke 2021 single-vineyard releases<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wines of the Year 2025: Australia, New Zealand & South Africa – Decanter {“api”:{“host”:”https:\\\/\\\/pinot.decanter.com”,”authorization”:”Bearer ZjQwMGNkMzE3MjM4MGJjYzhmNGU5Yzg4ZDVhZGVhODA0MjRlYzI4OGI3N2YxMGNhYjlmMmRmYzcwYTc5Yzg0Mw”,”version”:”2.0″},”piano”:{“sandbox”:”false”,”aid”:”6qv8OniKQO”,”rid”:”RJXC8OC”,”offerId”:”OFPHMJWYB8UK”,”offerTemplateId”:”OFPHMJWYB8UK”,”wcTemplateId”:”OTOW5EUWVZ4B”}} Julie Sheppard January…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7337,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[63,5202,5197,5203,5198,5199,5200,5201,5204],"class_list":{"0":"post-7336","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa","8":"tag-africa","9":"tag-highlights","10":"tag-latest-tastings","11":"tag-magazine-january-2026-issue","12":"tag-premium","13":"tag-premium-home","14":"tag-wine","15":"tag-wine-regions","16":"tag-wines-of-the-year-2025"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}