Australia ranked fifth in the medal tally at the 2026 International Wine Challenge in London – behind France, Spain, Portugal and Italy respectively.
Beresford Wines Classic Shiraz 2023 (97 points) was one of the most decorated wines in the competition.
The $25 McLaren Vale wine won four trophies: South Australian Shiraz Trophy, Australian Shiraz Trophy, Australian Red Trophy and International Syrah Trophy.
Beresford Wines is owned by the Bickford’s Group.
Australia took home 268 medals including 10 trophies, 38 gold medals, 131 silver and 99 bronze.
We achieved a 9.35 percent gold medal success rate – almost one in 10 – placing it among the strongest performers among major wine producing countries.
South Australia won 21 of the 38 gold medals and Tasmania 13.
Other major Australian trophy wins included Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 (96 points), Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2024 (96 points), MMAD Vineyard Grenache 2024 (96 points), Morris Classic Muscat NV (95 points) and House of Arras Grand Vintage 2017 (96 points).
Australia featured in the inaugural Icon selection with Golden Amrita Estate Barossa Valley Reserve Shiraz 2019 (97 points) one of the highest scoring wines in the competition.
Co-chair Oz Clarke said, “Australia remains a powerhouse of exciting reds and whites, but the landscape is changing.
“Barossa and McLaren Vale performed really well, but not only with Shiraz – Grenache is now a real star performer from a wealth of old vines.
“And Tasmania is no longer a wine buff’s curiosity.
“The sparklers have been superb for quite a while, but the reds, and particularly the whites, are now some of Australia’s finest.”
In its 42nd year, the International Wine Challenge is widely acknowledged as the world’s most rigorous, impartial, influential and global wine competition.
The challenge assesses every wine blind in London by international tasting panels of industry experts with every decision scrutinised by the co-chairs Sam Caporn MW, Oz Clarke, Dr Jamie Goode, Peter McCombie MW and Helen McGinn for the wines’ faithfulness to style, region and vintage.
Medal winning wines are tasted multiple times before the results are confirmed.
See the full results of the 2026 International Wine Challenge here.
Recent Comments