Hall of Fame honour for Hodder

Hot on the heels of being inducted as a Patron of Coonawarra, Wynns Coonawarra Estate winemaker Sue Hodder has been inducted into the James Halliday Hall of Fame.

The annual Halliday Wine Companion Awards are highly anticipated every year, recognising the nation’s top wines, winemakers, viticulturists and wineries.

The Hall of Fame acknowledges individuals in the Australian wine industry who are deemed to be of the highest regard and significance and Sue is certainly moving to be that.

She was not the only Limestone Coast award recipient with the Sauvignon Blanc of he Year going to Wrattonbully’s Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2023.

The awards were handed out earlier this month at Ormond Hall, part of Melbourne’s iconic The Commons Collective, and are determined collaboratively by the Halliday Tasting Team, including chief editor Campbell Mattinson, Dave Brookes, Jane Faulkner, Jeni Port, Marcus Ellis, Mike Bennie, Philip Rich, Shanteh Wale, and Toni Paterson MW.

“We’re delighted to announce the 2025 Award winners and extend our congratulations to each of them,” Katrina said. “We’re blown away by the quality of this year’s winners and tonight we celebrate the strength and perseverance of the Australian wine industry with winners representing regions from across the country.

“The Tasting Team reviewed over 7500 wines for the 2025 Companion and we’re proud to be able to share the best of Australian wine with fellow enthusiasts, industry peers, and those new to the world of wine.”

Sue has been part of the Coonawarra wine industry since 1993 and in 1998 became Wynns Coonawarra Estate’s first female senior winemaker and has regularly represented the industry both nationally and internationally.

Her contribution to the research, development and assessment of new clones and rootstocks for the next generation of Cabernet Sauvignon in Coonawarra has also been significant.