Howard Park Wines celebrates triple win at 2025 Royal Adelaide Wine Show

Margaret River producer Howard Park Wines claimed three major trophies at Friday night’s prestigious 2025 Royal Adelaide Wine Show.

Howard Park’s iconic Leston Shiraz label – produced from blocks 4 and 17 of the family owned Leston vineyard, which was planted in 1996 – won the prestigious Max Schubert AM Trophy for Most Outstanding Red Wine in Show, sponsored by CCL Label.

The winery’s Margaret River Leston Shiraz also received the Best Shiraz in Show, sponsored by Vili’s, and Best Shiraz 2023 Vintage and Younger trophies, sponsored by Doreau Australia Pty Ltd.

It was a standout evening for the Western Australian region. Evans & Tate received the George Fairbrother Memorial Trophy for Most Outstanding White Wine in Show for its Redbrook Reserve Chardonnay and The Seguin Moreau Trophy – Barrel.

The winery’s Redbrook Reserve Chardonnay is no stranger to awards, having previously received a host of accolades, including the The Albert Chan Memorial Prize for Best White Wine and The AP John Coopers Perennial Trophy for Best Chardonnay at the 2022 Sydney Royal Wine Show.

Adding to WA’s winning tally, Stella Bella Wines took out The Radoux Australia Trophy – Barrel for its Cabernet Merlot and The Professor AJ Perkins Trophy for its Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep Woods Estate won The BDO Trophy for its  Ivory Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, while Millbrook Winery’s went home with The Arkaba Cellars Trophy for its Regional Sauvignon Blanc.

South Australia was also in the spotlight, with Langhorne Creek producer Lake Breeze Wines receiving the Gramp, Hardy, Hill-Smith Prize for National Wine of Provenance for its Arthur’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Head winemaker Greg Follett – the fourth generation of the Follett family to work on the family property at Langhorne Creek – was also recognised with the F Miller & Co Prize.

The Usual Suspects Collective’s Clare Valley Vickery Reserve Watervale Riesling, made in the unique John Vickery style, was awarded the Governor’s Trophy for Best South Australian White Wine in Show, while Purple Hands Wines took home the Best South Australian Red Wine in Show for its Barossa Valley Grenache.

“As we saw with our 2024 winners, an award at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show acts as a powerful catalyst for further success,” RA&HS President Andrew Hardy said.

“The winner of the prestigious Max Schubert Trophy, the Devil’s Lair Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, and the winner of the coveted Gramp, Hardy, Hill Smith Prize for Provenance, the Tyrrells Vineyards Stevens Semillon, have been celebrated as benchmarks of Australian winemaking. Their recognition here reinforces this show as a proven launchpad for commercial success.”

Hardy pointed to the “period of significant adjustment” the wine industry is currently navigating, adding: “It is in this climate that the value of awards that recognise and promote excellence has never been more important.

“Fostering the next generation of talent is fundamental to the show’s purpose. This year, we were thrilled to award the 2024 Philip Laffer Royal Adelaide Wine Show Bursary to joint winners Eleanor Bilogrevic and Kate Henderson, who shared the bursary to support their postgraduate studies.

“Eleanor’s PhD research into no-and-low alcohol wines and Kate’s Master’s work on sustainable, non-traditional grape varieties place them at the forefront of industry innovation.”

Submissions for the 2025 bursary close on Monday, January 26, 2026.