France once again proved itself the powerhouse of the International Wine Challenge, topping this year's medal table with 849 total medals and capturing two of the five coveted champion titles.
But the 2026 results, unveiled this week at the close of the competition's 42nd edition, told a more global story — with Argentina, Italy and Portugal each walking away with a top honor of their own.
The International Wine Challenge remains one of the industry's most rigorous events, run through several stages of blind tasting by panels of judges spread across the UK, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Only wines that earn Gold medals move forward into trophy competition, and only the strongest trophy winners are put forward for the international champion titles — the highest distinction the event awards.
France's Twin Wins
France's dominance this year was led by its traditional strongholds. Champagne alone accounted for 28 Gold medals, narrowly ahead of Burgundy's 26, helping push the country to 67 Golds and 14 Trophies overall.
The sparkling wine crown went to Rare Champagne, whose Rare Magnum 2012 took both the Champion Sparkling Wine title and the Daniel Thibault Trophy after scoring 98 points — one of the highest marks awarded in this year's competition. Tasting notes from the judging panel pointed to its citrus edge, hazelnut undertones and lingering finish as deciding factors.
Burgundy supplied the second French champion. Maison Albert Bichot's Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Domaine du Pavillon 2024 was crowned Champion White Wine on a 97-point score, having already swept several category trophies including the International Chardonnay Trophy and the White Burgundy Trophy.
On the individual awards side, Estelle Roy of Burgundy producer La Chablisienne repeated her 2024 win to take White Winemaker of the Year for a second time, with her estate collecting three Golds and two Trophies this year.
Argentina, Italy and Portugal Claim the Spotlight
Outside France, Argentina delivered the biggest statement in the red wine category. Huentala Wines' Calizo Albar Block 06 Malbec 2023, grown in Mendoza, scored 97 points to take the Champion Red Wine title, adding to Malbec, Argentinian Red and Mendoza trophies it had already secured. Mendoza alone produced 10 of Argentina's 11 total Gold medals this year.
Italy's strongest showing came in the dessert wine category, where Tenuta di Capezzana's Vinsanto Capezzana Riserva 2018 secured a third consecutive Champion Sweet Wine title, scoring 97 points and picking up the Alois Kracher Trophy in the process. The country also picked up the award for Best Wine in First Year of Production, going to Derbusco Cives' Franciacorta Pas Dosé Épique 2016, a 96-point sparkling wine that also won Italy's top sparkling trophy. Helped by strong results from Piedmont, Veneto and Campania, Italy moved up to fourth place on the overall medal table.
Portugal took the fortified wine crown with Menin's Porto Tawny 80 Anos, a 98-point wine that swept both the Port and Tawny Port trophies en route to being named Champion Fortified Wine and awarded the Manuel Lozano Trophy. The Douro region contributed 23 Gold medals — the largest regional haul outside France — and helped lift Portugal from fourth to third overall on the medal table.
Winemaker Awards Span the Globe
Beyond the wine-specific titles, the competition's individual winemaker honors were distributed across five countries. Australia's Ed Carr of House of Arras earned his second Sparkling Winemaker of the Year title, backed by a 96-point Grand Vintage 2017.
Spain had a standout year in the individual categories. Javier Martínez de Salinas of Rioja's Bodegas Olarra became the first Spanish winemaker to win Red Winemaker of the Year, while Sergio Martínez of Jerez producer Emilio Lustau took Fortified Winemaker of the Year for a seventh time — and a third year running.
Austria's Hans Tschida claimed Sweet Winemaker of the Year for the sixth consecutive year, describing his approach to winemaking as one built on "no compromise."
The competition also honored Pieter Ferreira of Graham Beck in South Africa with a lifetime achievement award, recognizing his role in building the country's Cap Classique sparkling wine industry.
Competition director Chris Ashton said the results reflected the strength of the judging process itself. "Each winning wine has succeeded through a series of rigorous blind tastings by an international panel of experts, while the individual awards recognise winemakers whose skill, consistency and dedication have placed them at the forefront of their field," he said.
As in past years, wines entered into the competition are first sorted into Gold, Silver, Bronze or Commended tiers, with only Gold winners eligible to compete in the trophy rounds that ultimately determine the champion titles.
Source: VinoVistara