Wine Champions Off The Beaten Track Case

‘If you love dry sherry, you’ll love this’ was the verdict on our ‘shining, super salty’, bracing, bone-dry Exhibition Jura as it soared to Wine Champion status for 2026. Aged for three years under a veil of flor (yeast), it has considerable weight and nutty, spicy, yeasty character. ‘It won’t be for everyone, but it’s a real explorers’ wine,’ said one taster, and a long discussion ensued about the best food matches for it (salted almonds, Comté cheese and coq au vin, in case you’re wondering).

The first Polish wine to be crowned a Wine Champion in our blind tastings! Our panel of 2026 tasters praised its ‘cool, fresh, lavender profile.’ ‘It’s got a little tug of tannins on the finish but it’s a light-bodied, floral and very serious wine.’ It’s made by Kamil Barczentewicz, who is part of the new generation of winemakers in Poland making their mark. With only 12 hectares in the south-east of the country on limestone slopes, he started making wine in 2017 and is now being recognised for his bright, pure and well-balanced wines. There’s definitely element of the savoury and spicy here, with 60% of the wine aged in barrels to bring an attractive note of the latter. Red berries and plum combine with a brightness and lightness of touch on the palate.

‘Outstanding. This was on a different level versus the other under-£12 whites’ was the verdict of one taster in our 2026 Wine Champions blind tastings. This South African exclusive from Chris Williams is a serious bargain with an ‘exotic, buttery’ personality,. Using leftover fruit from his premium The Foundry range, he’s created a brilliant-value white whose class shone through.

‘I want to find out what this is so I can buy it,’ said one of our Wine Champions tasters as it was voted a winner for 2026. At the time of writing, it turns out that you can only buy it from The Society in the UK! We’re thrilled this syrah-led debut from South Africa put in such a commanding performance. From the historic Lammershoek Estate - next door to Eben Sadie on the Swartland’s Paardeberg mountain, it's ‘very floral, fresh and with great complexity.’ In short, it's a must-try.

Michael J. Corbett of Vanguarist has done it again: after three Wine Champions in 2025, two of his genre-redefining wines triumphed this year. With lightness, precision and clarity not normally associated with South Australia, this carignan is ‘so bright, so vigorous; a wine that doesn’t shout, but is so classy’ with intense, seductive scent and sweet, succulent dark fruit.

This remarkable white was one of the most exciting wines in the 2026 Wine Champions tastings. ‘Layered and salty with complex white flowers, and a hint of hay’ with a slight nuttiness on the finish, this is a soulful Spanish white to pair with its classic countrymen.