Keen to try a trophy winner for less than $20? We’ve scoured the big winners so you can skip straight to the highlights.

It can be hard to keep up with all the different wine awards around the country. With shows staged in most capital cities and so many wine regions (not to mention our own Dan Murphy’s Best in Glass Wine Awards), it can seem like the trophies just keep coming. But did you know there’s one big show that pits all the winners against each other? Yep, each year, the National Wine Show judges the best wines in the country; the only eligible entries are the gold and silver medal winners from the city and regional shows. And the 2025 winners have just been announced, with some truly benchmark wines taking out the titles.

We love a good trawl through show results to pull out the highlight wines, and that’s just what we’ve done here. Sure, this year’s National Wine Show major winners are impressive – Champion Wine went to Willunga 100 for their McLaren Vale Grenache, which also won Champion Red, and Deep Woods collected Champion White for their Reserve Chardonnay. And while we love an overachiever, there’s also gold to be found among the other trophies. Top gold, in fact. So, we’ve zoomed in on five heavy hitters below that each won their varietal trophy (a “top gold”). Even if you can’t find these exact vintages, you can count on the wines being just as incredible. They’re also (almost all) surprisingly affordable, so there’s no excuse not to try a winner right now.

The House of Arras Grand Vintage rivals Champagne in quality

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1. Sparkling Trophy: House of Arras Grand Vintage 2016

If ever a wine could prove that Aussie sparkling wine is able to rival France’s best Champagne, it’s this one. House of Arras has been turning out some of this country’s best bubbles for 30 years and they’re only getting better, as this wine proves. It’s got minerality, bright acidity and vibrant fruit, but its age brings complexity and developed characters like honey cake and even sauteed mushrooms – in a very good way.

2. Grenache Blends Trophy: Cat Amongst the Pigeons Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mataro 2023

Australia’s best grenache blend for less than $20? Proving it’s not always the fancy-pants wines that snag the trophies, Cat Amongst the Pigeons took out the top gong with this winning blend. For an everyday wine, it sure packs a punch. It’s loaded with aromas of plum, dark berry fruits, spice, earthiness, licorice and dark chocolate, along with flavours of bright red and rich dark fruit, a savoury earthiness from the mataro (AKA mourvèdre) and hints of spice.

Cat Amongst the Pigeons Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mataro won a trophy at the National Wine Show

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Evans & Tate Redbrook Estate Cabernet Merlot is a classic example of this blend

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3. Cabernet Blend Trophy: Evans & Tate Redbrook Estate Cabernet Merlot 2022

Cabernet merlot is one of Margaret River’s signature wine styles and this blend is a pinnacle example. Expect aromas that include rose petal, blackberry, blood plums and bay leaf, along with savoury spice and hints of cedar. All these traits add complexity to this elegant wine that has a great length of flavour. Dry, full-bodied and an especially great match with your favourite lamb dish, this wine punches well above its price, which sits at around $40.

4. Alternate Red Blends Trophy: Chalk Hill Tempranillo Grenache 2023

McLaren Vale has fast become a superstar region for Mediterranean varieties – the type of grapes that thrive in warm, dry climates – and this red blend combines two of the best. Together, tempranillo and grenache create this lively, perfumed wine that has bright red fruit characters, a touch of spice and crunchy tannins. Taking its cue from Spain’s famed Rioja wines, this newly crowned benchmark is an excellent expression, and all for less than $30.

Chalk Hill Tempranillo Grenache won a trophy at the National Wine Show

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The De Bortoli Noble One Semillon is a classic Australian dessert wine

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5. Sweet White Trophy: De Bortoli Noble One Semillon 2021

If you’re late to the dessert wine party, it’s time to get acquainted with this sweet style, and there’s no better example than the classic Noble One – this wine has been setting the benchmark for more than 40 years. It’s a rich and syrupy wine with flavours of candied citrus fruit, stone fruit and marmalade, but all balanced out by lively acidity that stops it from ever feeling too sweet. A perfect wine to serve instead of dessert – or with it.