The results of this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) have been revealed.
They highlight exceptional quality, a record number of first-time wins, rising stars and remarkable performances from both classic and emerging wine regions.
‘Winning a Gold or Platinum award at DWWA can literally change a producer’s life,’ said DWWA judge and Master of Wine Tim Marson. Beth Willard, DWWA Co-Chair echoes this, highlighting the transformative power of a medal: ‘Imagine a producer who’s never entered before, maybe quite a new producer and they get a Gold medal. That opens the world stage for them…it can really launch them into a market.’
Celebrating its 22nd edition, DWWA remains the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. This year, wines from 57 countries were evaluated by 248 top international experts, including 22 Master Sommeliers and 72 Masters of Wine – the most in the competition’s history.
A DWWA medal on a bottle – or a search through our results database – shows that the wine has been blind-tasted by leading wine experts. Judged purely on quality, these awards highlight wines that stand out at every level, from good to truly exceptional.
Each year, wine professionals, enthusiasts and consumers around the world turn to the DWWA results as a trusted guide – and we’re proud to be a go-to source for wine recommendations.
Now’s the perfect time to explore this year’s award-winning wines, from celebrated classics to rising stars from emerging regions.
Quick links to Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 results:
- Search all Best in Show medals
- Search all Platinum medals
- Search all Gold medals
- Search all Silver medals
- Search all Bronze medals
At the 2025 awards, 50 Best in Show medals were awarded (representing just 0.30% of all wines tasted), alongside 137 Platinum and 732 Gold medals, both an increase on last years’ with the overall medals in total increasing from 81.5% to 82.2% this year. Overall a higher percentage of top medals were awarded demonstrating the increase in quality of the wines submitted.
In addition, the popular Value Gold Top List recognised top quality wines priced under £15 has also seen an increase form 20 wines to 30 this year.
A notable change this year was the expanded magnum category, now open to all sparkling wines. For the first time, a magnum of English sparkling wine was awarded Best in Show – Sugrue South Downs, The Trouble With Dreams, Sussex, England, United Kingdom 2009. In total, three Platinums and three Golds were awarded to magnum entries from France, Hungary, Italy and the UK.
Spotlight on DWWA 2025 winners
Best performing countries
DWWA 2025 results map: Where the top medals went
Top medal winners
France once again led the medal count with 187 top-tier awards, including 14 Best in Show, 33 Platinum and 140 Gold medals. Champagne secured 27 top awards, including three Best in Show vintage cuvées:
- Barons de Rothschild Rare Collection Blanc de Blancs 2014
- Lanson Noble Brut 2008
- Rare Champagne Brut 2012
Burgundy stood out for its Best in Show achievements with two firsts, with Jean-Marc Brocard, Bougros, Chablis Grand Cru 2023 and Albert Bichot, Hospices de Beaune Cuvée Cyrot-Chaudron, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2023 winning the top prize with neither appellation having received this accolade before.
In the south, Corsica received its first ever Platinum medal for San Ghjuvà, Riserva, Vin de Corse 2022 (97 points) and Languedoc-Roussillon celebrated its first-ever Value Platinum medal (97 points, under £15) for Domaines Bonfils, Château Vaugelas V, Corbières 2023, both landmark achievements. And in the east, Jura received a Best in Show from the same producer for the second consecutive year – Michel Tissot & Fils, Château-Chalon 2017. In 2024 the 2016 vintage won this much coveted award. France also secured five Top Value Gold positions, second only to Spain in this year’s Top 30.
Italy strengthened its position with 138 top-tier medals (up from 107 in 2024), including six Best in Show and 30 Platinum medals underscoring its depth across heritage and innovative styles.
Tuscany led the charge with a Best in Show medal for Tenuta Meraviglia Maestro di Cava Bolgheri Superiore 2020, the same wine achieving a Platinum in 2024 with the 2019 vintage. The region also secured a further eight Platinum and 20 Gold medals. Piedmont was not far behind with two Best in Show, five Platinum and 19 Golds, including a first-ever Gold medal for an Erbuluce, for Tenuta Roletto, Erbaluce di Caluso, Passito 2013.
Southern Italy should not be overlooked with Sardinia achieving four Platinum medals, the first since 2021, and a strong performance from Sicily, securing a Best in Show for Donnafugata Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria 2023, the first since 2023. Also Campania won its first-ever Best in Show medal from Taurasi DOCG for Donnachiara Taurasi 2021.
In the North, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol saw a marked increase in top medals from 14 in 2024 to 26 this year, including a Best in Show for Cantina Terlano, Lunare Gewürztraminer 2023. The country also had strong Value Gold performers, two Value Golds made the Top 30 including a Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore and a Langhe red.
Spain continued its versatile rise, achieving a remarkable 105 top-tier medals, including five Best in Show, 16 Platinum and 84 Gold medals. This impressive haul showcased the country’s diverse strengths across fortified, red, white, and sparkling wines.
Sherry had one of its best-ever years, securing two Best in Show medals for González Byass Del Duque VORS Amontillado NV and González Byass Tío Pepe Cuatro Palmas Amontillado NV, alongside six Platinum and 10 Gold medals. Judges keenly relished the Sherry category, commenting, ‘a refined old sherry is almost as good as wine can be.’
Ribeira Sacra earned a Best in Show for Don Bernardino, La Capona Amandi 2019 (100% Mencía). Judges highlighted the extraordinary effort behind these wines, noting, ‘Anyone who’s seen photographs of… the extraordinarily steep granite vineyards of Ribeira Sacra will open this bottle with a sense of reverence: it’s likely to have been made with more sweat, effort and muscle than any other wine in our Best in Show selection.’
Other standout wins include Vall Llach Mas de la Rosa Priorat 2023 achieving a Best in Show and Pago de los Capellanes Doroteo Ribera del Duero 2020 taking another top accolade for a 100% Tempranillo. Rioja also impressed with three Platinum and 21 Gold medals, while Cava earned a Platinum and eight Golds, demonstrating its continued global attention.
Spain was the leading contributor to the Value Gold Top 30 list with wines from Cava, Costers del Sergre, Jumilla, Monterrei, Montsant, Ribera del Duero, Rioja and Somontano. The country’s overall performance underscores its growing versatility and exceptional quality across its varied wine regions.
Top 15 countries ranked by total number of medals
| Country | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum | Best in Show | Total Medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1782 | 1251 | 140 | 33 | 14 | 3220 |
| Italy | 1128 | 938 | 102 | 30 | 6 | 2204 |
| Spain | 1081 | 839 | 84 | 16 | 5 | 2025 |
| Australia | 243 | 320 | 65 | 11 | 4 | 643 |
| Portugal | 266 | 236 | 38 | 9 | 5 | 554 |
| South Africa | 192 | 246 | 45 | 3 | 1 | 487 |
| Argentina | 187 | 195 | 37 | 7 | 2 | 428 |
| Croatia | 256 | 115 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 386 |
| Canada | 212 | 124 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 347 |
| Chile | 175 | 134 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 334 |
| New Zealand | 138 | 139 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 303 |
| USA | 152 | 122 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 294 |
| Greece | 144 | 78 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 242 |
| Slovenia | 122 | 75 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 211 |
| UK | 99 | 80 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 188 |
Portugal recorded its strongest-ever DWWA performance, with five Best in Show, nine Platinum and 38 Gold, contributing to a total of 554 medals overall. Fortified wines from the Port region excelled, earning two Best in Show awards for Graham’s, Quinta dos Malvedos, Single Quinta Vintage 2018 and Menin Douro Estates, 50 Year Old Tawny NV, alongside five Platinum and 12 Gold medals.
The Douro region led the country with 149 medals, notably claiming two Best in Show for Quinta do Reguengo, Cortes 2020 and Santos & Seixo Wines, Da Casa Grande Reserva 2020, confirming its ‘grandeur…not just for Port but for table wines too,’ as judges commented. Vinho Verde secured the final Best in Show for Soalheiro, Alvarinho, Monção e Melgaço 2024, marking the only still white wine from Portugal to achieve this top accolade. The awards also highlighted Portugal’s commitment to value, with two Douro wines and one Vinho Verde wine making the Top 30 Value Gold list, demonstrating a market for quality, but also incredible value for money.
Greece achieved a record-breaking year with 20 top-tier medals, marking 2025 as a ‘breakout year’ for the country. Notably, Greece earned its first-ever Best in Show medals from Peloponnese, Goumenissa and Epanomi. The Peloponnese region secured a Best in Show for Monemvasia Winery Tsimbidi, Monemvasia-Malvasia 2012, a sweet white wine with deep historical roots and was Greece’s most successful region overall with 64 medals. Macedonia celebrated two Best in Show wins: a first for Goumenissa with Chatzivaritis Estate 2021 (a red blend) and a first for Epanomi with Ktima Gerovassiliou, Single Vineyard Malagousia 2024. The Aegean Islands also claimed a Best in Show for Anhydrous, Santorini 2019, with judges highlighting Santorini’s consistent strong performance. Crete also celebrated its first two Golds since 2021 for 100% Vidiano wines, with one making the Top 30 Value Gold List.
In Central and Eastern Europe, Slovenia won a Best in Show award for an orange wine: Vinakoper, Capris Orange Rumeni Muškat, Slovenska Istra, Primorska 2015, its first since 2020. Croatia secured its first Platinum since 2022 with a sweet Muscat: Benvenuti, San Salvatore Muškat, Hrvatska Istra 2021 and an impressive 386 total medal, 20 more than last years. Montenegro earnt its first Gold since 2020 with Plantaže, Pro Corde Vranac, Čemovsko 2021 and Serbia and Romania more than doubled their top medal totals from last year with an impressive seven and eight Golds won respectively
UK sparkling continued to dominate the top-tier medals with a total of 188 awarded wines across the country. Claiming a historic Best in Show for a magnum – Sugrue South Downs, The Trouble With Dreams 2009. Master of Wine and DWWA Co-Chair, Sarah Jane Evans, commented: ‘We’ve been tasting a lot of Champagne, but frankly, English sparkling wine is a top tip and something very good, so look out for the medal.’
Digby Fine English, Rosé Brut, West Sussex 2018 and Bluestone, Blanc de Noirs Brut, Wiltshire 2019 were both awarded Platinum alongside six Gold medals which were awarded to non-still wines. The south of England performed best overall in terms of top medals coming from Kent, Sussex and Wiltshire.
Over to the Americas and USA wines excelled, with California earning both of the country’s two Best in Show awards – including a second consecutive Best in Show for Clos du Val. Top-tier medals also went to wines from Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Canada also performed well, achieving two Platinum medals for Icewines and a medal first for Quebec, with La Belle Alliance, Toujours 2020 winning a Silver.
Southern Hemisphere stars
Australia reaffirmed its status earning four Best in Show, 11 Platinum and 65 Gold medals. Once again demonstrating its global prowess in the top 50 with winners from four different regions:
- Wirra Wirra The 12th Man Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills 2024
- Xanadu Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River 2022
- Barossa Old Vine Company Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2022
- Trentham Estate Reserve Shiraz, Heathcote 2023.
Top awards included standout Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, with Margaret River excelling across categories. Regions such as Margaret River and Barossa Valley led the charge, while Hunter Valley’s McGuigan Bin 9000 Semillon 2018 appeared in the Top 30 Value Golds list.
New Zealand earned 303 medals, with a Best in Show for Craggy Range, Pinot Noir, Martinborough, Wairarapa 2024, one Platinum and 24 Gold medals. Top medals outstanding Pinot Noirs and strong showings in Chardonnay.
South Africa had a record-breaking year with 45 Golds, one Best in Show and a first-ever Gold for Worcester: Alvi’s Drift Nectarinia Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains 2017, a sweet 100% Muscat Blanc. The three Platinum medals included a first since 2016 for Walker Bay with a 100% Pinotage for Hasher Family, Batrachella Pinotage, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 2022.
Argentina had a record-breaking year with 46 top-tier medals – double last year’s total. This included two coveted Best in Show awards for Bemberg Estate Wines, Pionero, Gualtallary, Tupungato 2022 and Rutini, Single Vineyard Malbec, Gualtallary, Tupungato 2021, both from Mendoza. As judges noted, ‘What a story Gualtallary is telling us all… Could it eventually prove a South American challenger to Napa?’ Mendoza led with 349 medals, six Platinum, and 27 Gold. This includes a first-ever gold for a 100% Criolla with Durigutti Family Winemakers, Proyecto Las Compuertas, Chica Criolla, Las Compuertas, Luján de Cuyo 2024.
Salta also excelled, earning a Platinum for Etchart, Single Vineyard Malbec, Cafayate 2024 and the country’s second-highest regional medal count. Additionally, a Gold from Jujuy for Huichaira, Cielo Arriba 2022 was lauded as ‘The epitome of a wine from incredibly high altitudes.’ This year underscored Argentina’s ability to produce both exceptional quality and value, as Tim Marson MW highlighted regarding the Value Gold awards: ‘It’s a market for quality, but also incredible value for money.’
Chile performed consistently, earning 25 top medals and two Best in Show. First up: Antiyal, Viñedo Escorial Organic Carmenère 2020, from Maipó Valley, which earned a Best in Show highlighting the world-class quality of Chilean Carmenère. DWWA Regional Chair for Chile, Amanda Barnes MW noted, ‘It’s incredibly exciting to see a Chilean Carmenère take Best in Show – especially from such a landmark producer and the very winemaker who identified Carmenère in Chile just over 30 years ago.’ Another Carmenère also received a Platinum medal, further solidifying the grape’s standing. As Barnes put it, ‘there’s no doubt that Chile is producing world-class examples of this once-forgotten variety.’
Perhaps even more thrilling was the historic Best in Show win for La Causa del Itata Cinsault-País-Carignan 2022 a historic first Best in Show from the Secano Interior region. Barnes emphasized this, saying, ‘However, perhaps even more exciting this year is the recognition of a Cinsault-País-Carignan blend from Itata as Best in Show and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Maule rising to claim the title of best Cabernet in Chile this year. They both signal a broadening appreciation for the long-overlooked regions of the south.’ This, along with a Platinum for Miguel Torres, Los Inquietos 02 Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 from Maule, truly signals a growing appreciation for the quality emerging from Chile’s long-overlooked southern regions.
Overall, Maule was the standout region, bagging 55 medals, including the Platinum and six Golds (all reds except for Longaví, Cementerio, Chile 2023). Maipó Valley also performed exceptionally well, with all of its 43 medals going to red wines, including the Best in Show and two Gold winners.
A new lens: medal efficiency
While traditional medal tables reflect a country’s absolute success, let’s also introduce a fresh perspective: medal efficiency – measuring the number of medals earned relative to a country’s vineyard area and wine production volume.
Inspired by Olympic-style metrics, this analysis combines OIV 2023 data on vineyard size and production with the full DWWA 2025 results. It reveals how effectively countries turn their viticultural resources into international acclaim.
Two key indicators were used:
- Medals per 1,000 hectares of vineyard (kha) – showcasing quality output relative to land.
- Medals per million hectolitres of wine (mhl) – indicating how much of a country’s production reaches award-winning standard.
The results spotlight countries that may be smaller in scale but consistently produce wines of standout quality.
Greece led across both metrics, with 2.57 medals per 1,000 hectares and a remarkable 172.9 medals per mhl of production. Following closely were:
- New Zealand, with 2.94 medals/kha and 84.2 medals/mhl. Despite its modest size, the country achieved 303 medals from just 3.6 million hectolitres of wine – an extraordinary concentration of quality.
- Australia, which combined scale and precision with 643 medals – the fourth highest overall – and a medal yield of 4.04 medals/kha (the highest in the world) and 67 medals/mhl. This reflects a system where regional specialisation and export standards continue to drive excellence.
- Hungary, often under the radar internationally, performed impressively: 152 medals, including 16 Gold and 3 Platinum, from a small base of 61,000 hectares and 2.4 mhl of production, yielding 2.49 medals/kha and 63.3 medals/mhl.
- Austria maintained its reputation for focused, high-quality production, earning 155 medals – including two Platinum and 19 Gold – from 104,000 hectares and just 2.4 mhl, resulting in 1.49 medals/kha and 64.6 medals/mhl. Although Austria again demonstrated exceptional quality, with 21 top-tier medals in general.
By comparison, larger producers such as France, Italy and Spain – who dominate overall medal counts – continue to deliver excellence across a broad spectrum. Their inclusion in the top 10 for both total awards and many efficiency rankings confirms that scale and quality can coexist. This dual perspective shows that the DWWA recognises both the scale of success in global leaders and the density of quality in focused producers. It’s a broader picture of excellence, no matter the origin or output.
Record breakers & emerging highlights
First to date
China reached a milestone with two Best in Show awards for the first time, both for red blends, Changyu Noble Dragon N188 2022 and Dongfang Yuxing Geruihong Yeguangbei 2022. Judges noted: ‘China is a relative newcomer to the world of wine, though in other respects its civilisation pre-dates that of Mediterranean Europe (and the Chinese made mixed alcoholic beverages even earlier than the Georgians wines). Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, then, both at the speed at which its wine creators are learning, and the level of their accomplishments. Both were on show this year with not one but two Best in Show wines. This wine from Helan Mountain in Ningxia is a cunning blend which few in Europe would have thought of: Cabernet Sauvignon with 9% of freshening Dornfelder and 6% of Cabernet Gernischt (Carmenère). It works well. The wine is a dark, opaque black-purple with fresh and alluring scents of blackcurrant and wild plum. The palate offers a seductive plunge of fruit and spice, settling on something more akin to dark chocolate but – and this is key – with the authority and detaining discipline only carefully extracted tannins can bring. It’s a revelation.’
Uzbekistan‘s first-ever entries won first-ever medals, one Silver and five Bronzes.
Denmark‘s first-ever DWWA medal was a Bronze for Kalum Winery.
Other notable highlights
Armenia received its first Gold since 2022.
With 21 top-tier medals under its belt, Austria was in the 10th place amongst the highest Gold-to-entry ratios in the competition, showcasing precision winemaking across a tight portfolio of entries.
Germany scored seven top medals for a range of Pinot Noirs and Rieslings demonstrating the great quality produced from these varieties.
Japan maintained consistency with eight top-tier medals including a Platinum for Grande Polaire, Zweigeltrebe, Yoichi, Hokkaido 2022.
Mexico achieved a Gold in the second consecutive year by San Miguel de Allende winery.
Ukraine achieved four Golds, including two Value, both from the Shabo winery, one of which features in the Top 30 list.
Uruguay won three Gold medals, its first since 2023.
Style trends
Orange wines are on the rise, with 87 medals awarded this year – including the first-ever Best in Show for the category from Slovenia and one Platinum for a sweet wine: Groot Constantia Estate, Grand Constance, Constantia 2020. The five Gold medals came from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa and Ukraine.
Fortified wines performed strongly, earning four Best in Show medals, split evenly between Sherry and Port. The Platinum medals (21 in total) span an exciting selection of styles with a variety of aged Colheita, Tawny and White Ports; a Bual Madeira and a range of Amontillado, Fino, Oloroso and Palo Cortado Sherries with the addition of a Rueda en Rama to further highlight the breadth this category has to offer.
Non-Champagne traditional method sparkling wines are also emerging as a significant trend. As mentioned above, this year saw one Best in Show medal awarded to the UK, showcasing the growing prowess of sparkling wine production outside of Champagne. Furthermore, eight Platinum medals were distributed across a diverse range of regions, including Cava (1), Franciacorta (2), Loire (1), Hungary (1), UK (2), and California (1). A strong showing of 40 Gold medals further cemented this trend, with representation from countries and regions such as Austria, Australia, China, Chile, Loire, Franciacorta, the UK, Cava, Croatia, Japan, South Africa, Slovenia, and Alto Adige – truly a good mix that highlights the global reach and innovation within this exciting category.
Supermarket wines continued to excel. Major UK retailers such as Asda, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Lidl and Aldi proved that award-winning quality is accessible to everyday consumers. Asda led the way with five Golds, its best year since 2023. Waitrose also achieved success with 19 medals including one Gold, a significant increase from 2024’s eight medal total.
DWWA 2025 once again showcased an incredible diversity of wines, from legendary appellations to innovative producers pushing boundaries with style, grape and packaging.
Top 30 Value Golds in the DWWA 2025 results
This year’s Top Value list has grown again to 30, versus last year’s Top 20 Value Gold selection, pointing readers to a wider selection of the best wines in the competition priced under £15-a-bottle.
Top 30 Value Gold selection to follow.
With special thanks to our sponsor
Thank you to DWWA official sponsor Riedel for supplying glassware for the 2025 competition
