Award-winners, where to find this year's best wines in London's restaurants and wine merchants

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Now in its 23rd year, the Decanter World Wine Awards is the world’s largest wine competition. So you'll understand it when we pay attention to what it has to say about good wine. For the 2026 competition, 254 judges tasted nearly 17,000 wines from 58 countries all over the world and the results are now in.

This year the UK, Brazil, France, Spain, Argentina and the USA all achieved their best results in the competition’s history, while British producers led the world in medals for sparkling wines in magnum format.

We've picked out some wine highlights from the 2026 winners and, helpfully for you, have done some digging to discover which London restaurants are serving them up right now if you fancy dining in. But also which of the city's top wine merchants have some winners in stock for you to enjoy at home or buy as a gift.

Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre, Loire, France 2025

Award: Silver medal-winning with 92 points

Tasting notes: Described as a "feminine wine, elegant and perfectly balanced... the limestone brings minerality and finesse; the clay-limestone brings the fruit, the richness and the flint brings thestructure and the minerality. It's particularly good when paired with a seafood platter, shellfish or chicken.

Where to try it: Kaio (Bayswater)

Kāio is a new live-fire dining destination, combining live-fire cooking, with an interesting cocktail list and striking design in the new Whiteley building. Head Chef Sachin Mistry comes here via The Grill by Tom Booton at The Dorchester, BiBi, and Akoko.
We'd suggest having this lovely Sancerre with their grilled king prawns with garlic, lime and fenugreek butter or barbecued Canadian lobster with spiced cashew butter and coconut milk broth.

Charles Heidsieck, Blanc De Blancs Brut, Champagne, Champagne, France NV

Award: Gold medal winner with 95 points

Tasting notes: The judges loved the "beaming lemon, lime, green apple and tropical fruit aromas," which they felt were "sustained by a wonderful chalky form, exuding zesty acidity and polished mousse. Long and enduring."

Where to try it: Idalia (Olympia)

This modern British restaurant is one element of the £1.3 billion regeneration of Olympia. Set within Pillar Hall it's an all day affair open from breakfast through to dinner and late-night drinks. Sam Williams heads up the kitchen alongside Lorena Tommasi with the pair serving up dishes that reflect the dining scene in London right now with flashes of international inspiration.
If you're popping the cork on a bottle of Charles Heidsieck here it might be nice with a starter of Smoked Salmon with melba toast, lemon and watercress. It would also work nicely with their lemon sole and brown shrimp main course.

Craggy Range, Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, Wairarapa, New Zealand 2025

Award: Platinum medal winner with 97 points

Tasting notes: The judges found this to be "expressive and complex with a fine seam of grapefruit acidity that carries the finely-tuned aromas to the finish." It should go well with seafood, goats cheese, and fresh oysters.

Where to try it: Bread Street Kitchen & Bar (Bishopsgate)

Gordon Ramsay’s newest Bread Street Kitchen & Bar is up on the 59th floor of the 22 Bishopsgate tower and, as you might imagine, has pretty jaw dropping views over London. If you're dining here and ordering a bottle of Craggy Range there are plenty of dishes that would work well with it including half a dozen oysters with habanero vinegar and olive oil or maybe the barley miso salmon with pickled cucumber and chive emulsion.

Hundred Hills, Hillside No. 3 2019 Magnum

Award: Gold medal winner with 96 points

Tasting notes: The judges found this fabulous English sparkling wine from Oxfordshire to be be "Sizzling with energy; comprising vivid citrus, biscuit and chalky mineral elegance that harmonises with the ample texture and plush creamy mousse. Very complete and long."

Where to try it: Dante Mayfair at Claridge's (Mayfair)

Originally conceived of as a residency, the popularity of this New York's Claridge's pop-up was such that it's now a permanent feature at the Mayfair hotel. The food here is a mix of New York Italian with the more London influences that you'd expect to find in one of the city's best hotels. Those of you ordering the Hundred Hills at Dante Mayfair will find it goes delightfully with their caviar and Champagne pearl tart and is also more than a match for their chicken alla diavola with green goddess dressing.

And if you're looking for some of the Decanter award-winning wines in London's wine merchants we've picked a few out for you too:

Berry Bros & Rudd (St James) - The St James wine merchant stocks 25 of this year's medal winners including a Best in Show winner; a 2016 Tokaji from Aszú 6 Puttonyos in Hungary.

Hedonism (Mayfair) - The fine wine boutique also sells 25 of this year's medal-winning wines including the platinum medal winner 2022 Curlan Chardonnay Riserva from Cirlan in Italy.