Dylan Grigg named Viticulturist of the Year

Dr Dylan Grigg has been named Viticulturist of the Year in the 2026 Halliday Wine Awards announced at Ormond House in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Virginia Willcock from Vasse Felix in Margaret River was named Winemaker of the Year.

Winery of the Year is Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley and Wine of the Year went to Thistledown Wines This Charming Man Single Vineyard Clarendon Grenache 2024 from McLaren Vale.

Dylan says it’s nice to be recognised. “You just plug away,” he says.

“To know that those guys sitting around their big round table, bring your name up, is pretty cool.

“I guess it is a tip of the hat to me being good at viticulture, which means being respectful to the vines, the people I’m working with and the wider industry, because it’s all about the people.”

The Halliday award completes a successful few weeks for Dylan, who won the McWilliam’s Excellence in Action Award at the Australian Wine Industry Awards for his work in the research and protection of Australian old vines.

Dylan runs a viticulture business, Meristem, and has his own wine label, Vinya Vella, producing bushvine Grenache from a six hectare vineyard at Vine Vale in the Barossa.

He consults to wine producers in Australia and around the world including in Margaret River, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, California and Spain.

“I keep my head down, I’m constantly running,” he says.

“So to have people notice and say, ‘hey he’s doing alright’, it’s like ‘Oh, am I?’

“I hope so, but you don’t often stick your head up to find out.”

Dylan says he can’t imagine doing anything else in life.

“Yesterday, I was with my distributor, which is another world,” he says.

“We were just talking and I’m like, I love doing this.

“I’ve got people sending me photos of vines from just outside of Barcelona.

“I’ve got a mate sending me solar radiation data from South Africa for a site in Spain and a sparkling site in the UK.

“I’m talking about pruning in the Coal River Valley, spreading fertiliser in the Barossa and setting up tree harvest, irrigation and fruit levels in California.

“How do you say no to that? If you like viti, it’s so bloody good.”

Dylan says the state of the wine industry is “really difficult” and finds it a challenge to comprehend it all.

“I love the industry,” he says.

“I’ve devoted most of my life to it and I’m probably on a path to do my whole working life in it.

”So you want it to thrive, but with the good times I guess has to come some bad and there will be some up and down.

“It’s a matter of us refocusing and making sure that our key brand of Australian premium wine stays strong because it’s the story connected to the people and the land that fills dining room tables and barbecues and brings joy.

“That’s the part that keeps me driving along.”

Dylan says industry awards aren’t even on his radar.

“I get a kick out of working with good people and the relationships and the wines and visiting any of the top restaurants in the country and going, ‘client, client, client, mate’.

“That fills my cup.”

Copies of the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion – which has more than 5,000 tasting notes and scores – are on sale today for $45 each.