How does a wine reach the highest ranks? Find out as Wine Spectator’s senior editors discuss what’s exciting about each of the Top 10 Wines of 2026 in this video series. Plus, learn how we pick the Top 100 and how Wine Spectator reviews wines in blind tastings, hear from the winemakers and vintners who have produced Top 100 wines, and explore the regions, grape varieties and wine styles featured in this year’s list.
About the Top 100
Since 1988, Wine Spectator editors have selected the 100 most exciting wines of each year. This annual list honors successful wineries, regions and vintages around the world.
What Makes a Top 100 Wine?
Quality All Top 100 wines must score 90 points or higher on our 100-point scale.
Value In 2025, the average Top 100 wine score was 93 points, and the average price $58—with 20 wines at $25 or less!
Availability Our Top 100 wines must be widely available in the United States.
The X-Factor Top 100 wines have a special quality that generates excitement.
For detailed profiles of all of the 2026 picks, check out the complete Top 100 Wines of 2026 package in the Dec. 31, 2026, issue of Wine Spectator, on newsstands Dec. 2.
2026 By the Numbers
10,900+
Newly Released Wines Tasted
7,295+
New Wines Scoring 90+ Points
2,889
Wineries Reviewed
787
Appellations Reviewed
How We Taste
Blind Tastings
All wines are tasted blind in our New York and Napa Valley offices. Tasters do not know producer or price—only the variety and/or region. Click to learn more …
The 100-Point Scale
Reviewed wines are given a single score by our tasters to indicate quality level, along with accompanying tasting notes and a recommended window for when they will drink their best. Click for the full scale …
450,000 Ratings and Counting
Wine reviews are published and updated regularly in our magazine, website and WineRatings+ app. In 2026, Wine Spectator published reviews of over 10,900 new releases.
A Year’s Worth of Wine
At the end of each year, our senior editors meet to decide the Top 100 from the set of wines that earned outstanding scores. This list comprises 100 bottles that really caught our attention—and are worthy of yours.