VINUM “World of Rosé 2026” – The Best Rosés of the Year Have Been Chosen

Winners of «VINUM World of Rosé 2026»: England dethrones Champagne – Germany’s Franconia wine region produces the best rosé of the year

Anyone who still considers rosé to be nothing more than an uncomplicated summer wine has missed the developments of recent years. The 801 wines entered in this year’s edition of ‘World of Rosé’ impressively demonstrated just how much origin, ambition and artisanal precision are embodied in the colour pink today. Sparkling wines, in particular, provided a surprise: it was not Champagne, but England that topped the competition.

With 801 wines tasted from numerous European wine regions and overseas, the VINUM «World of Rosé» competition remains one of the largest and most important of its kind. The wines were tasted completely blind in Ettlingen from 19 to 21 May. The 22-member expert jury, comprising sommeliers, wine merchants, oenologists, winemakers and members of the VINUM editorial team, assessed all the wines on a 100-point scale.

This year, the title «Best of Show» was secured by Ludwig Knoll’s Franconian winery, Weingut am Stein. The dry Pinot Noir, Montonia Rosé Fumé 2025, received 95 points and impressed the jury with its combination of precision, structure, complexity and ageing potential. The wine was also awarded the title «Best of Germany».

The real sensation, however, came in the sparkling wine category. In the prestigious «Rosé Sparkling Classic Method» category, Nyetimber Rosé from Sussex claimed the top spot with 95 points. The Classic Cuvée Rosé from Hambledon Vineyard also scored 95 points. As a result, two of the three highest-scoring sparkling wines in the competition were produced in England. Whilst Champagne’s traditional dominance remains undisputed, the results impressively demonstrate just how confidently the finest English sparkling wines now belong among the international elite. 

Champagne was also strongly represented. Pierre Paillard’s Rosé Les Terres Roses Grand Cru 2019 also scored 95 points, underlining the enduring quality of France’s top producers. At the same time, the category demonstrated just how international the top ranks have become: Franciacorta, German Winzersekt and Portuguese sparkling wines were all right up there with the best.

Germany performed particularly well in the still wine categories. Alongside the overall winner, standout entries included Bercher’s Spätburgunder Rosé SE 2023 from Baden, Rainer Schnaitmann’s Flash Rosé 2024 from Württemberg, Aldinger’s Untertürkheimer Gips Trollinger Rosé, and the Rosé de Saignée from the Rings winery in the Palatinate.
Other national winners include the Austrian Strehn family with their Lovestory Rosé 2023, Château Léoube in Provence, La Cave Frédéric Zufferey in Valais, and Quinta dos Carvalhais from the Dão region in Portugal.

This year’s edition of «World of Rosé» confirms a trend that has been emerging for years: rosé is no longer merely a by-product. The finest examples in this category combine provenance, structure and ageing potential with the lightness that has made rosé so successful worldwide. The days of the «little rosé» are well and truly over.