As the year draws to a close, Australia’s largest wine storage provider, Wine Ark, has catalogued the 195,000 bottles newly placed in its care in 2024 to reveal the most cellared wines of the past 12 months. The data gives insight into Australia’s most discerning wine drinkers’ tastes, trends, and treasured collections.
For the first time in years — since 2023, the team at Wine Ark uncovers which labels and varietals are the most popular among over one million bottles housed in dedicated wine storage across 15 state-of-the-art facilities in five states.
Notable highlights from 2024’s most cellared wines:
- Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2021, a white wine, was the most collected label in our wine cellars.
- The producer with the most bottles collected this year was Penfolds
- More people are collecting wine than ever, with a 15% increase in the number of bottles placed into dedicated wine storage from 2023 to 2024
- Barossa Valley was the most cellared region, making up 23.4% of the wines submitted this year, followed by Margaret River (14.8%)
Australians are Embracing Boutique Winemakers as much as Classic Favourites
John Cuff, Wine Ark’s Head Keeper of the Bottles, notes that the 2024 results demonstrate a growing awareness of the age-ability of Australia’s biggest white wine variety and expressed surprise at seeing Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay crowned as the most collected wine of 2024.
“Over the years, we’ve observed a marked increase in the appetite for age-worthy chardonnay. However, I fully expected a red wine to take the top spot this year. Over seven Chardonnays in the Top 25 wines were added in 2024, including four in the top 10.”
The results also highlighted a preference for boutique and family wineries. Cuff noted, “It’s been a tough year for the wine trade. It’s heartening to see that the vast majority of wines purchased and stored at Wine Ark this year were produced by smaller, family-run wineries. While iconic names like Leeuwin, Giaconda, and Pierro Chardonnay dominate the Top 10, I was truly blown away to see the 2022 Savaterre Chardonnay from Beechworth rank as the 7th most cellared wine of 2024.”
Keppell Smith, owner and winemaker at Savaterre, shared his reaction: “Well, well! That’s a surprise for such a small producer! We put a lot of effort into delivering a great wine. I’m flattered and thrilled that people are using excellent storage for our wines. It’s terrific to be in such great company.”
Australians are Turning to Offsite Wine Cellars to Manage Their Collections
Despite a challenging year for the wine industry overall, Cuff also noted an interesting uptick in wine storage this year. “There was a 15% increase in the number of bottles placed into storage from 2023 to 2024. Whether this reflects clients taking advantage of discounted parcels from retailers and wineries, or a shift toward purchasing larger volumes at lower price points to save for later.”
With state-of-the-art climate-controlled facilities, Wine Ark offers affordable wine storage in Australia to strategically manage and protect wine collections for households and hospitality operators. Enquire today to access premier cellar services.
Continue reading to discover what the country’s leading wine cellarage is housing by shopping 2024’s most cellared wine now!
The Results:
Top Wines Added to Wine Ark’s Cellars
- Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2021
- Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2018
- Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2024
- Mount Mary Quintet Cabernet Blend 2022
- Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023
- Giaconda Estate Chardonnay 2022
- Savaterre Chardonnay 2022
- Pierro Chardonnay 2023
- Standish Lamella Shiraz 2022
- Lake’s Folly Shiraz Merlot Petit Verdot 2022
Top 5 Producers Added to our Wine Cellars
- Penfolds
- Rockford
- Tyrrells
- Lake’s Folly
- Mount Mary
Top 5 Varieties Added to Wine Storage
- Shiraz
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Blend
The Most Common Vintages Added to our Wine Storage
- 2022
- 2021
- 2023
Top Regions Added to Wine Ark’s Cellars
- Barossa Valley
- Margaret River
- Hunter
- Yarra Valley
- McLaren Vale
