The 2026 WineGB Awards – held for the first time at 10 Union Street, London – have confirmed a decisive shift in the trajectory of English and Welsh wine. Confidence, diversity and technical mastery were the defining themes of this year’s results, with judges praising an industry that has “outgrown the box” and is now producing wines of world‑class calibre across multiple styles.
Headline Results: A Landmark Year for Quality
Langham Wine Estate (Dorset) dominated the podium for the second consecutive year, securing Supreme Champion, Best Producer, Best Sparkling Wine, and Best Non‑Vintage Sparkling Wine for its Corallian Classic Cuvée NV, which achieved an extraordinary 99 points. Judges celebrated its “outstanding balance and layer upon layer of flavour,” marking it as one of the highest‑scoring wines in the history of the competition.
Hattingley Valley’s Kings Cuvée 2017 (Hampshire) followed closely with 98 points and the Best Aged/Vintage Cuvée trophy, praised as “a very accomplished wine that shows great class.”
Sparkling wines scoring 97 points showcased excellence across multiple regions, including:
- Chapel Down Grand Reserve 2019 – Classic Cuvée trophy & Best SWGB wine
- Oastbrook Sparkling Rosé 2018 – Best Rosé
- Fenny Castle Blanc de Noirs 2021 – Best Blanc de Noirs
- Woodchester Valley Blanc de Blancs 2019 – Best Blanc de Blancs
- Exton Park Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2013 – Best Aged/Prestige Wine
- Langham Corallian Classic Cuvée – Best Sparkling NV/MV
Still Wines: A Category Coming of Age
This year’s results underline a major evolution in still winemaking, with standout performances across Chardonnay, Bacchus, rosé and Pinot Noir.
- Blackbook Winery (London) took Best Still Chardonnay and Best Still Wine for Pygmalion Chardonnay 2023 (97 points), described as “an outstanding Chardonnay that fires the soul.”
- Balfour Winery Liberty’s Bacchus 2025 earned Best Still White (not Chardonnay) with 96 points, showcasing the growing sophistication of England’s signature aromatic variety.
- Walgate Rosé 2023 won Best Still Rosé, reflecting a shift toward gastronomic, age‑worthy rosé styles.
- Simpson’s Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2024 secured Best Still Pinot Noir, reinforcing Kent’s rising reputation for world‑class still reds.
- Sandridge Barton Sonny NV claimed Still Innovation for the second year running, demonstrating the category’s appetite for boundary‑pushing winemaking.
Producers to Watch: Contract Winemaking & Newcomers
West Sussex stood out for technical excellence:
- Wiston Estate was named Best Contract Winery, with client wines earning 14 medals.
- Abingworth Vineyard was awarded Best Newcomer, achieving one Gold and four Silver medals in its debut year.
Regional champions demonstrated the breadth of quality across England and Wales, from Flint Vineyard in the East to Vale Vineyard and Velfrey Vineyard in Wales.
Wales – Vale Vineyard – Gwinllan Y Dyffryn and Velfrey Vineyard
West – Fenny Castle VineyardEast – Flint Vineyard
Midland and North – Hencote Vineyard
Wessex – Langham Wine Estate
South East – Oastbrook Estate
Thames & Chilterns – Harrow & Hope
For the first time, the Awards recognised the people and places shaping the future of UK wine beyond the bottle:
- Sandridge Barton, Don’t feed the ponies – Innovative Label Design
- Adrian Franklin – Photography Award for his aerial shot of Mereworth Vineyard
- Westwell Wines – Best Small Cellar Door
- Chapel Down – Best Large Cellar Door
Highly Commended: Astley Vineyard and Hambledon Vineyard.
Co‑chair judge Peter Richards MW and host for the awards ceremony, summed up the mood of the evening: “There was a time when you felt like you could put UK wine in a neat box. No longer. There is now an ambition, diversity and adventurous nature to many wines that speaks of confidence in the craft.
“The 2026 WineGB Awards confirm that English and Welsh wine is not only maturing – it is thriving, innovating and earning its place on the world stage.”
All award‑winning producers can be found on the WineGB UK Wine Map, helping trade and consumers discover the vineyards shaping the future of English and Welsh wine.
A thanks to our headline sponsor for the awards ceremony, Rankin Brothers & Sons and all the trophy sponsors – Mayo Wynne Baxter, Croxsons, Enartis, Between the Vines, Harpers, LCB, The Pig, NFU Mutual, A.E. Chapman, Vetreria Etrusca, Boxes & Packaging, Riedel and Oak Creative.
This year’s WineGB Awards judging took place over four days at WSET School London on Bermondsey Street, bringing together some of the UK’s most respected wine experts to assess 372 wines from producers across England and Wales. Led by chairs Susie Barrie MW and Peter Richards MW our panel of judges included Oz Clarke, Luke Harbor, Sam Caporn, Melania Battiston, Matt Hodgson, Georgie Rice, Ben Cahill and Zara Cassidy.
As reported in Harpers
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