Tar & Roses Pinot Grigio crowned Halliday’s Pinot Grigio of the Year, two years running.
For two consecutive Halliday Wine Companion awards, Tar & Roses Pinot Grigio has been awarded “Pinot Grigio of the Year”, cementing its style as a benchmark in Australian Pinot Grigio winemaking. Both vintage 2024 and 2025 have been recognised in the 2026 and 2027 Halliday Wine Companion Awards respectively, twice topping the varietal category in Australia’s renowned and definitive guide to wine.
This back-to-back accolade is a testament to the dedication, consistency and talent of Winemaker Narelle King. King has devoted more than 20 years of winemaking to Tar & Roses, the acclaimed 2025 vintage of Pinot Grigio marking her 20th release. In response to last year’s honour, King revealed “each year we aim to make a wine better than the last”, certainly an aspiration she has delivered.
12 months ago, Halliday awarded the 2024 vintage of Tar & Roses Pinot Grigio ‘Pinot Grigio of the Year’, alongside a glowing 96-point review from Jeni Port which proclaimed, “The style is set – and it’s a winner, especially at this price”. Regarding the current award-winning 2025 vintage which has also garnered 96 points, Port maintains that “Grigio gets serious and what a treat. Strolls the border of grigio-gris territory with aplomb, bringing the flavour intensity of the latter with the zippiness and freshness of the former… Beautifully composed, lightly textural and delivered in crunchy fresh acidity. Tired of grigio? Think again”.
Distinguished by both style and colour, Tar & Roses Pinot Grigio proudly retains its signature blush hue. King attributes this defining characteristic to her late winemaking partner and friend, Don Lewis, whose decisive choice to preserve the wine’s natural colour was, she reflects, “the best decision we’ve ever made”. Following Don’s passing in 2017, King has continued to champion the Tar & Roses legacy, building on their shared vision and leading the winery to remarkable success.
Narelle describes the award-winning 2025 Pinot Grigio to have “hints of sweet Danish with ripe yellow peach on the nose. A generous palate with classic Grigio mouth coating viscosity, balanced with a long, soft acid line”. The 2025 vintage of Tar & Roses Pinot Grigio is limited, with the 2026 vintage set for imminent release.
Tar & Roses has been committed to creating a distinctive, Australian expression of Pinot Grigio along with other Mediterranean varieties since 2006. From Victorian soils, the winery produces Sangiovese, Tempranillo & Nebbiolo, Shiraz, Riesling and more recently, the vibrant and refreshing Prosecco and Fiano.
