San Francisco, August 12, 2026 — The 2026 USA Wine Ratings have announced their top winners, recognizing wines and producers that demonstrate excellence across Quality, Value and Packaging.

The 2019 Forthright Winery “The Fort” from Sonoma County, California, was named 2026 Wine of the Year after earning 96 points. Produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine received 96 points for Quality, 95 for Value and 95 for Packaging. It was also named Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year.

Alpha Estate S.A. Winery from Greece was named Winery of the Year and Red Wine Producer of the Year. Its Ecosystem Malagouzia Single Block Latipes 2025 earned 96 points and was named Wine of the Year – Greece. Alpha Estate also received Shiraz of the Year for Syrah Single Vineyard Turtles and Sauvignon Blanc of the Year for Alpha Estate Sauvignon Blanc.

Villa Splendida’s Caratelli Villa Splendida 2019 from Italy received the competition’s highest Quality score of 98 points and was named Best Wine by Quality. The amber wine earned an overall score of 96 points and was also named Wine of the Year – Italy.

Barefoot Cellars Riesling by Gallo was named Best Wine by Value after receiving an outstanding Value score of 97 points. The wine earned 95 points overall and was also awarded Riesling of the Year.

Rosie Giovese 2019 by Giovese Family Wines was named Best Wine by Packaging with 97 Packaging points. The Italian rosé earned an overall score of 95 points and was also named Sangiovese of the Year.

Top Winners at the 2026 USA Wine Ratings

Wine of the Year:
2019 Forthright Winery “The Fort” by Forthright Winery, United States — 96 points

Winery of the Year:
Alpha Estate S.A. Winery, Greece

Best Wine by Quality:
Caratelli Villa Splendida 2019 by Villa Splendida, Italy — 98 Quality points

Best Wine by Value:
Barefoot Cellars Riesling by Gallo, United States — 97 Value points

Best Wine by Packaging:
Rosie Giovese 2019 by Giovese Family Wines, Italy — 97 Packaging points

Red Wine Producer of the Year:
Alpha Estate S.A. Winery, Greece

Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year:
United Spirits, Inc. for Bellissima Prosecco DOC Brut

Fortified Wine Producer of the Year:
Henriques & Henriques – Vinhos S.A., Portugal

Importer of the Year:
Blue Ridge Spirits & Wine Marketing

Varietal Winners

Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year:
2019 Forthright Winery “The Fort” by Forthright Winery, United States — 96 points

Chardonnay of the Year:
Madre Chardonnay 2022 by The Landing Wines, New Zealand — 94 points

Pinot Noir of the Year:
Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 by Three Sticks Wines, United States — 93 points

Riesling of the Year:
Barefoot Cellars Riesling by Gallo, United States — 95 points

Sauvignon Blanc of the Year:
Alpha Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2025 by Alpha Estate S.A. Winery, Greece — 94 points

Shiraz of the Year:
Syrah Single Vineyard Turtles 2023 by Alpha Estate S.A. Winery, Greece — 95 points

Malbec of the Year:
Rutini Colección Malbec 2022 by Rutini Wines, Argentina — 94 points

Merlot of the Year:
Château Fillon Cuvée Première 2023 by Château Fillon, France — 94 points

Sangiovese of the Year:
Rosie Giovese 2019 by Giovese Family Wines, Italy — 95 points

Tempranillo of the Year:
17 by PINEA 2021 by Bodegas Pinea de Duero, Spain — 93 points

Rkatsiteli of the Year:
Kakhetian Noble White 2022 by Badagoni, Georgia — 93 points

Wines of the Year by Country

United States: Wilderness by Schmidt Family Vineyards — 96 points
Greece: Ecosystem Malagouzia Single Block Latipes by Alpha Estate — 96 points
Italy: Caratelli Villa Splendida by Villa Splendida — 96 points
Portugal: Henriques & Henriques Sercial 10 Years Old — 96 points
France: Chateau Fillon “Life Is” Cabernet Sauvignon — 95 points
New Zealand: Madre Chardonnay by The Landing Wines — 94 points
South Africa: Jol Sommet by Penrose Hill — 94 points
Chile: La Arauca by Penrose Hill — 94 points
Argentina: Rutini Colección Malbec by Rutini Wines — 94 points
Brazil: Salton Ouro Moscatel by Vinícola Salton — 93 points
Spain: 17 by PINEA by Bodegas Pinea de Duero — 93 points
Australia: Dita Akello by Penrose Hill — 91 points

Own-Label Winners

The 2026 competition also recognized wines created for the growing private-label and retailer-exclusive segment.

Own Label of the Year and Best Own Label by Value:
Fioroso Prosecco Rosé by Innovino International Inc. and The Winn-Dixie Company Market Exclusive — 93 points

Best Own Label Sparkling Wine of the Year:
Fioroso Prosecco Rosé — 93 points

Best Own Label by Packaging:
Fog & Light Reserve Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon by The Winn-Dixie Company Label with Scheid Family Wines — 91 points

Judged for Quality, Value and Packaging

Organized by Beverage Trade Network, the USA Wine Ratings evaluates wines through the lens of the U.S. marketplace. Each wine is judged on three commercially important criteria: Quality, Value and Packaging.

Quality accounts for 50% of the final score, while Value and Packaging each account for 25%. The blind-tasting stage considers aroma, taste, balance, complexity, typicity and finish. Value assesses whether the wine delivers the right experience at its retail price, while Packaging considers label design, functionality, shelf appeal and overall presentation.

The judging panel brings together leading wine buyers, retailers, importers, distributors and Masters of Wine who understand what performs successfully in the competitive U.S. market.

“The USA Wine Ratings recognizes wines that combine winemaking excellence with real commercial potential,” said Sid Patel, CEO and Founder of Beverage Trade Network. “The 2026 winners have shown that they can deliver on taste while also offering the value, positioning and shelf presence needed to connect with buyers and consumers.”

Medal Levels

Wines are awarded medals according to the following scoring system:

Double Gold: 96 points and above
Gold: 90–95 points
Silver: 85–89 points
Bronze: 80–84 points

About the USA Wine Ratings

The USA Wine Ratings was created to recognize, reward and promote wine brands that are built for today’s consumer and trade marketplace. Unlike competitions that evaluate wine solely on taste, the USA Wine Ratings considers the complete commercial proposition of every entry.

By judging Quality, Value and Packaging, the competition identifies wines that not only taste excellent but also offer the right price positioning and visual appeal to perform successfully on retail shelves and wine lists.

The USA Wine Ratings is organized by Beverage Trade Network, a global drinks industry media, events and business services company helping beverage producers and brand owners connect with buyers, importers, distributors and retailers.

View the complete list of 2026 USA Wine Ratings winners here.