It was the first five-star rating in the winery's history, and winemaker Sam Brewer said much of the credit went to his parents who undertook the "gruelling" challenge of starting a vineyard in 1978.

Mr Brewer now carries on the family tradition, and he said he is determined to carry on his parents' legacy and bring more attention to what the Riverina wine region has to offer.

"Never would we have thought our small Riverina winery would be acknowledged in this way ... off the back of a pandemic that halted all trade that same year," Mr Brewer said.

"This region has a lot to offer in its traditions and hospitality. We've committed to offering more to each guest that arrives at our winery and sharing this beautiful lifestyle Griffith has kept for generations."

The awards are based on James Halliday's reviews of more than 1,100 wineries, out of which Yarran Wines emerged as the most promising up-and-comer.

Its reputation has ballooned since the announcement, with several Wagga restaurants starting to stock Yarran wines after hearing about the award.

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Riverina wineries were raking in the awards for this year's Halliday awards, including De Bortoli, Lillypilly Estate, McWilliam's, Michel Marie, R. Paulazzo, and Calabria Family Wine which all got five-star ratings.

Ten Riverina wines were lavished with High Scoring Regional Wine awards for scoring 90 and above, including two Min+Co wines, a Nugan estate wine, and four Calabria wines.

Riverina Winemakers Association executive officer Carrah Lymer said this year's awards were a spectacular result for the Riverina region, particularly for the Durif, Botrytis Semillon, and Italian varieties.

She said the recent influx of awards was proof of the Riverina's growing reputation Australia-wide.

"It is the most prestigious award in the industry; James Halliday is the most authoritative voice on wine in the country," Ms Lymer said.

"For Sam to win is absolutely incredible for him and for the region."