US Achieves Historic Feat at 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards, Texas Wineries Shine

France led the Decanter World Wine Awards 2026 with 254 top-tier medals, but the United States delivered its strongest showing ever, highlighted by Texas wines earning the state’s first Gold medals and the nation capturing two Best in Show, five Platinum and 32 Gold medals. The UK topped Best in Show for sparkling wine, Essex Pinot Noir drew buzz as a potential next big thing, and other nations including Italy, Spain, Germany and Austria posted record tallies. The competition drew more than 17,000 wines from 58 countries, judged by 245 experts in London over two weeks, with Best in Show winners including Clos du Val’s Yettalil (California) and Domaine Serene’s Aspect (Oregon).