Seven wineries from the Ballarat and Pyrenees regions have been awarded five red star ratings in the nationally-recognised Halliday Wine Companion 2021.

James Halliday has been the nation’s most respected wine critic for over 30 years and his annual guideis recognised as the industry benchmark for Australian wine.

The following wineries from the Ballarat and Pyrenees regions achieved five red star status in the 2021 wine companion:

• Eastern Peake, Coghills Creek
• Mitchell Harris Wines, Ballarat
• Tomboy Hill, Ballarat
• Blue Pyrenees Estate, Avoca
• Dalwhinnie, Moonambel
• DogRock Winery, Crowlands
• Summerfield, Moonambel

Those with five red stars are regarded as outstanding wineries which regularly produce wines of exemplary quality and typicity. These wineries will also have at least two wines rated at 95 points or above, plus a five-star rating for the previous three years.

“Summerfield is obviously very proud to have such an amazing rating with Halliday again this year,” Summerfield owner and winemaker Mark Summerfield said.

“The special thing for us is that they (the wines) are all current vintage and have just been released to our members and now the public.”