Inside the Halliday Wine Companion
A Q&A with Katrina Butler, Head of Tasting
Holly: As a marketing consultant working with wineries, I am constantly asked the same questions about the Halliday Wine Companion. How does the tasting process really work? What do the scores mean? How are the Awards decided? And what is the difference between editorial and commercial content?
To lift the veil, I sat down with the person best placed to answer them all: Katrina Butler, Head of Tasting. In this conversation she explains the submission process, scoring, the Companion’s role in educating consumers, and even shares some lighter moments about her love of Comté.
Q: For those new to your work, who are you and what does your role involve?
Katrina: I’m Katrina Butler, Head of Tasting for Halliday Wine Companion. It is an all-encompassing role and someone that loves wine finds it super joyful. No day is the same. I manage the tasting team, eight wine critics plus some spirits tasters, and I oversee production of the Halliday Wine Companion book, which is our annual labour of love. Day to day it is managing the team, looking at the notes, wrangling submissions and wineries, and all those details that make up the tapestry of what we do.
Q: How does the tasting and scoring process work, from submission to score?
Katrina: Wineries can now submit year-round. Smaller batches are great. Our tasters are split into regions: Margaret River to Jane Faulkner, Yarra Valley to Philip Rich, Granite Belt to Mike Bennie. That way there is regionality and vineyard understanding behind each review.
Wines are mostly reviewed blind using the 100-point scale. We are different to a wine show. We review for the consumer, not trade. Yes, the team assesses quality, fault, structure, acid, but a bigger part is communicating how the wine feels. When should you open it? What will it be like with food? That is why people come to us.
Q: What do the scores actually mean?
Katrina: Anything 95 and above is gold. Ninety to 94 is silver, which is where most wines sit, and 86 to 89 is bronze. Our tasters are reviewing hundreds from their patch, so they have a mental scale. A 97 is outstanding because they have already seen 300 wines from that region and vintage.
Q: Some say scores are higher these days. Is that true?
Katrina: We have actually had a decrease in the upper echelon. Score inflation is something we take seriously. Out of 7,125 wines for the 2026 Companion, only 60 were scored at 98 and above. Most wines are silver, but of course you see golds promoted because wineries are excited and consumers are drawn to them.
Q: Do wineries have to submit to be reviewed?
Katrina: Yes. If you do not submit, you will not be reviewed. That is why some wines are not in the Companion. The big shift is that submissions are now year-round. Please do not hold wines back. Six weeks before release is ideal. And please do not send them too early before they are settled in bottle.
Q: What is the difference between editorial and commercial content?
Katrina: Submissions are free. If a winery wants to use our IP, tasting notes, scores, roundels, they need a trade membership. That is how we remain viable and pay the tasting team. Importantly, the Companion book is completely editorial. You cannot buy your way in. Where there is sponsored content online or in print, it is always disclosed.
Q: How are the Awards decided?
Katrina: For varietal awards we call in the highest-scoring wines, 165 this year, and taste them blind. We use a ranking method and the top wine wins. All varietal winners then come back for red, white and ultimately wine of the year.
The major awards are more personal. At our judges’ dinner we each bring a wine to support our nomination for Winemaker, Viticulturist or Dark Horse. It is a long, passionate conversation and honestly one of the most joyous nights of the year. Winery of the Year is more data-led. We look at scores, provenance and consistency, and then decide together.
Q: Can a winery be shortlisted without submitting?
Katrina: No. If they do not submit, we cannot review them and they lose their star rating. It would not be truthful to the consumer otherwise.
Q: You have said you review for consumers, not trade. What does that mean?
Katrina: Our role is to review for the consumer. The moment we start reviewing for wineries, we lose our integrity. Trade benefits from our IP, but our job is to educate consumers and help them make informed decisions. That is very different to wine shows, which are for trade.
Q: How is Halliday adapting to the changing media landscape?
Katrina: We relaunched the podcast with Anna Webster, we publish notes weekly, and video is really important now. Short, easy-to-digest clips connect people with wines and stories. Younger consumers are experimenting more, so we introduced Wildcard to champion wines that do not fit traditional categories. We are also re-engaging internationally, like with China, to keep Australian wine front of mind.
Q: Why did you start reviewing spirits?
Katrina: Spirits are being consumed with interest, and so many wineries are now distilling. We spent 24 months finding the right team. Fred Siggins heads spirits, and Jess Clayfield, our botanics queen, leads on gin. At the moment reviews are digital, but I would love to see a spirits magazine or book. The feedback has been fantastic.
Q: If people want to connect or send news, where should they go?
Katrina: Email tasting@winecompanion.com.au or reach out on Instagram. Too much information does not exist, we want to know what is happening. Editorial pitches go to our editor, Anna Webster, and key releases come to me. We work closely and share everything.
Q: Biggest pet peeve in submissions?
Katrina: No winemaking details. “We used some oak.” What oak? How much? What format? No vineyard info. It is such an important part.
Q: Best recent wine and snack pairing?
Katrina: My office colleagues joke I always have a piece of Comté in my backpack. Entropy Savagnin from Ryan Ponsford with a chunk of Comté, absolute chef’s kiss.
Q: How do you afford all that Comté?
Katrina: That is the sacrifice we must bear when we love Comté.
Q: If you were not working in wine, what would you be doing?
Katrina: Retired, enjoying a nice glass of wine.
Q: Weren’t you a baker once?
Katrina: Yes. I was a pastry chef and supplied Yarra Valley wineries with wedding cakes. I got to taste my way while they cut up my cakes, a great segue into wine.
Thanks to Katrina for her candour, humour and generosity. If you would like to connect with her, reach out via tasting@winecompanion.com.au or through the Halliday Instagram account. And if you missed it, you can listen to the full interview on Spotify.