Old Vine Photography Competition 2026 winners
Pristine, snow-covered vines, cross-generational vineyard teams, and the etched crevices of centennial Shiraz, the Old Vine Conference has announced the winners of its inaugural Old Vine Photography Competition. The breathtaking images celebrate the beauty, legacy, and robustness of the world's oldest vineyards.
Revealed as part of Old Vine Day on July 15, the international vineyard photography competition attracted 272 entries from around the world across four categories: Landscape & Plants, People, Cultural Legacy, and Resilience & Adaptation. More than 3,600 public votes alongside five judges from across the wine world contributed to picking four extraordinary images showcasing centennial vineyards and the people dedicated to their preservation.
The competition, sponsored by the Consorzio of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, was launched to raise awareness of old vines and their cultural and environmental importance. “Photography has the power to move people in a way words alone can’t and turn something like old vines, which can be complicated, into a subject anyone can feel and begin to understand at a glance," said Old Vine Conference Executive Director Belinda Stone.
From Australia's iconic Shiraz vines to Bolivia's centuries-old agroforestry systems and the snow-covered vineyards of Spain, the winning photographs beautifully illustrate the stories of old vine regions and wine heritage across the world.
Feast your eyes on some stunning wine photography from the winners of each category.
Landscape and plants
Langmeil Freedom 1843
Photo credit: ‘Langmeil Freedom 1843’ by Dragan Radocaj, Barossa Valley, Australia
By Dragan Radocaj (entered by James Lindner), Barossa Valley, Australia
This stunning portrait captures the celebrated Freedom 1843 Shiraz vine at Langmeil Winery in Australia’s Barossa Valley. Thought to be one of the world's oldest continuously producing Shiraz vines, judges praised the portrayal of the vine's remarkable age, strength, and endurance of ancient Australian vineyards.
“The camera lens successfully captures the etched crevices, long spurs, and muscular enough trunk indicative of age… knowing that it is a 183-year-old Shiraz makes it even more impressive; particularly the cluster sizes, demonstrating that old or ancient vines also exist for this reason: because these vines are still vigorous enough to produce a healthy crop,” they said.
People
Dionisia Portal
Photo credit: ‘Dionisia Portal’ by Tim Atkin MW, Cinti Valley, Bolivia
By Tim Atkin MW, Cinti Valley, Bolivia
Photographed as she works in her family's historic arboreal vineyards in Bolivia’s remote Cinte Valley, Dionisia Portal stands in the midst of vines estimated to be more than two centuries old. The joyful image celebrates both the people and heritage that have safeguarded Bolivia's unique viticultural culture for generations.
One judged remarked, “Historic old vines do something to people. This image captures exactly that - pure, unguarded happiness. I can’t help but smile when I look at this picture.”
Cultural legacy
Diversity that Transcends a Generation
Photo credit: ‘Diversity that transcends a generation’ by Patricia Mendoza, Camargo, Bolivia
By Patricia Mendoza, Camargo, Bolivia
The image focuses on a family that crosses generations, documenting a centuries-old vitiforestry system, a unique viticulture system that’s embedded in forests. The picture highlights ancient Negra Criolla vines growing alongside a wide range of crops. It eloquently illustrates the enduring connection between sustainable agriculture, handed-down local culture, and old vine preservation in Bolivia vineyards.
Judges praised a “colorful depiction, like that of a painter’s arrangement, of this centuries-old culture of wine and food, ‘sustainable’ long before the word was coined”.
Resilience and adaptation
Vines under snow
Photo credit: ‘Vines under snow’ by Jorge Miret, Aragon, Spain
By Jorge Miret (entered by Sharon Elizabeth Wade), Aragón, Spain
Taken during Storm Filomena in 2021, this stunning image shows an 80-year-old Garnacha vineyard covered in snow as temperatures dropped to minus 2° Fahrenheit. It highlights the resilience of old vines, enduring in Spain vineyards in some of nature's harshest conditions.
Judges said, “The rocky moonscape terroir highlights the age-old tradition of cultivating grapevines in extreme or low vigour sites, only emphasising the ‘miracle’ of old vines surviving against the odds.”
Overall winner
Photo credit: ‘Diversity that transcends a generation’ by Patricia Mendoza
Out of the four winning images, judges selected Patricia Mendoza as the Grand Prize recipient with “Diversity that transcends a generation”.
As the overall winner, Patricia Mendoza will join the Old Vine Conference on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to photograph some of the world's most awe-inspiring historic vineyards. Category winners also received lifetime membership to the Old Vine Conference, a case of old vine wines, a digital winner's medal, and international exposure across wine, food and photography publications.
Feature image: ‘Langmeil Freedom 1843’ by Dragan Radocaj, Barossa Valley, Australia
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