We’ve Been Shortlisted for the 2027 Halliday Dark Horse Winery Award

We’ll take that. For those who know us, you’ll know this one feels especially fitting. The Dark Horse award is designed to recognise the regional hidden gems — the wineries that are “not as commonly talked about as they should be, yet wildly deserving of their time in the sun.” We’ve always been more about what’s in the glass than what’s on the billboard, so to have the Tasting Team shine a light on what we’re doing here is genuinely humbling.  The Tasting Team spent the past year assessing around 7,500 wines from over 1,000 wineries across 60 Australian wine regions to arrive at this shortlist. Getting a nod in that context means a lot. The winners will be announced at the Halliday Awards ceremony on Wednesday, 19 August 2026 — so we’re not there yet, but we’re in the running, and we’re proud of it.

Here’s what Halliday Tasting Team member Jeni Port had to say about our nomination:

Black & Ginger – by Hadyn and Lucy Black and business partner Darcy Naunton (Ginger) – is undoubtedly one the most exciting and adventurous young wine producers in the state. Based in the Grampians, B&G is unashamedly a supporter of the region’s two greatest grape varieties – riesling and shiraz – but also sees a future for new grape varieties and styles and, as such, fashions some scintillating tastes.

— Jeni Port, Halliday Tasting Team

Thank you for being part of the Black & Ginger story. Awards like this remind us why we do what we do — and that the Grampians is a region that deserves to be talked about more. We couldn’t agree more.

Check out How to spend 48 hours in the Grampians by Anna Webster (Halliday) for some ideas for the perfect itinerary, and yes it includes a stop at the Black & Ginger wine shed in Pomonal.

Cheers,
Hadyn, Lucy & Darcy