The US wins big at Decanter World Wine Awards for 2026

London — 

The results of the world’s largest wine awards have been announced, and there are plenty of surprises among the countries and regions that have triumphed.

“There’s never been a better time to be a wine drinker,” said Pierre Mansour, a judge and regional chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards, at a preview tasting of the top wines for 2026. “We are in a golden era. It’s extraordinary.”

More than 17,000 wines from 58 countries were entered into the awards, before being supped and quaffed by 245 judges in a rigorous two-week process held in London. Several countries recorded their strongest-ever performances in the awards’ 23-year history and numerous regions earned medals for the first time.

Medals awarded at the Decanter World Wine Awards range from Best in Show — representing the top 0.3% of wines tasted, then Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.

France was the strongest performer overall, securing 254 top-tier awards and the country’s best results since the competition began 23 years ago. Burgundy, in east-central France, was the standout globally for Best in Show medals, notching up more than any other wine region in the world.

Italy ranked second overall, securing 144 top-tier medals, with Best in Shows going to wines from Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily and Lombardy.

However, in the evolving wine landscape of 2026, grape cognoscenti are as likely to be planning their next vineyard adventure to Texas or Essex as to Bordeaux or Veneto.

“What the results demonstrate is that you’ve got great wines coming from pretty much every corner of the world,” said Mansour.

Spain secured its greatest-ever haul of top-tier medals, Germany nearly doubled its tally, and Austria had a great year with two Best in Show, eight Platinum and 15 Gold medals.

The United States had its best-ever performance at the awards, with two Best in Show, five Platinum and 32 gold medals.

The Best in Shows were Yettalil, Stags Leap District, California 2023, from producer Clos du Val, and Oregon’s Domaine Serene, Aspect, Dundee Hills 2023.

California, Oregon and Washington continued to dominate, but Texas had a landmark year with its first-ever Gold medals. Texan winners included three wines from Texas Hill Country: AB Astris, Souzao 2022; Turtle Creek, Tannat 2023; and Adega Vinho, Estate Tempranillo 2021. The final Gold was awarded to Spicewood Vineyards, Las Montañas 2022.

“No Texas wine is sold outside of Texas, so it’s kind of an exclusive thing, “ explains Zoe Ward, an account executive at MDSG representing Travel Texas. Fredericksburg in Hill Country is Texas’ answer to Napa Valley, with some 75 wineries for visitors to explore.

Virginia won five Gold medals, with winners including Chestnut Oak Vineyard, Chestnut One, Monticello 2023; and Early Mountain Vineyards, Quaker Run Cabernet Franc 2022. Pennsylvania also bagged a gold medal for Benigna’s Creek, Chambourcin 2024.

Exciting times could lie ahead for the US wine industry, Mansour predicted. “Although it is the fastest-growing wine market in the world, it’s still a relatively newish wine market, and so there’s just so much opportunity.”

It was a record-breaking year for British wines overall, with the country leading the world in medals for magnums of sparkling wine. The UK achieved a total of 217 medals, including a Best in Show for Balfour, Blanc de Blancs, Kent 2018, described by Mansour as “a wonderful sparkling wine.”

Essex won five medals, including Silver medals for Lyme Bay Winery’s Pinot Noir and Bacchus. Vagabond also received a Bronze medal for its orange wine, Night Tripper 2024. Pinot Noir is grown around the world, mostly in cooler climates, but Mansour reckons the southern English county could be the next star producer: “I think the next big thing is Essex Pinot Noir.”

There were record-breaking years also in South America. Argentina took home

Its greatest-ever haul of top-tier medals with a total of 61 top-scoring wines. Mendoza, on the eastern side of the Andes, secured all eight of the country’s Platinum medals as well as its only Best in Show.

Brazil took home its highest-ever number of Gold and Silver medals — four and 88, respectively — as well as 133 Bronze medals.

Japan won five Gold medals, including a first-ever Gold winner from Hiroshima, Chugoku. China won two Platinum, 11 Gold, 100 Silver and 101 Bronze medals. Inner Mongolia recorded its first ever Gold medal, for the Tian Ge Winery, Coviyn Desert Gift Golden Sand Blend, Inner Mongolia, China (Mainland) 2023 – Marselan red blend.

South Africa recorded one Best in Show, eight Platinum and 36 Golds, with Stellenbosch its best-performing region overall.