Seventy wines struck gold at the 2026 Marlborough Wine Show, with Chief Judge Stu Marfell saying the results show a wine region in fine form.
Judges spent three days tasting more than 500 wines last week, awarding 70 gold, 140 silver and 180 bronze medals in total.
Sauvignon Blanc, Current Vintage, and Chardonnay, Current Vintage, were the leading categories, picking up 19 and 12 gold medals respectively.
“It’s been exciting, we’ve had another strong vintage with the 2026’s,” says Marfell. “Aromatics and Sauvignon Blancs have been really strong, and it’s been cool to see things like Albariño performing. It’s a wine that has got so much personality and potential, so that’s pretty fun.”
Wines across the spectrum had performed well, offering wine drinkers plenty of quality options for their summer festivities.
“There’s a lot for Marlborough to be proud of, there really are some great wines coming through, and it’s pretty exciting,” says Marfell.
“There’s a lot to like for wine drinkers, across everything from Albariño to Pinot Noir and everything in between, they are all looking really good.”
The quality of 2026 followed two strong vintages in 2024 and 2025, says Marfell, and tasting the Legacy entries, which include three vintages of the same wine from within a 10-year period, further proved that in some cases, Marlborough wines get even better with age.
“We’re probably almost drinking [these wines] a bit young, at times. There were some really great older wines, and sometimes, of the three wines, it was the oldest of the three that really shone through as being the most interesting.”
Marfell was joined by Shadow Chief Judge, Marlborough Winemaker Murray Cook, guest judges Jennifer Docherty MW from Hong Kong and New Zealand based Terry Copeland, alongside a team of senior and associate judges for the Marlborough Wine Show tasting.
“Jennifer and Terry were both amazing to have on the team, bringing both knowledge and enthusiasm, and we’ve had some new associates, and judges stepping into senior roles as well this year, so it’s really nice to see that progression coming through,” says Marfell.
“It’s also been great to have Murray in the Shadow Chief role. He has a great focus on the wines and brings fresh ideas to the show.”
Marfell will shadow Cook as he steps into the role of Chief Judge in 2027.
Trophies will be announced at the 2026 Marlborough Wine Show Celebration, taking place on Friday 13 November at the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club in Picton.
Two Wine Marlborough Lifetime Achievement Award recipients will also be announced at the celebration.
Gold Medals by Varietal Class2026Sparkling5Sauvignon Blanc – Current Vintage (2026)19Sauvignon Blanc – Older (2025 & older)3Sauvignon Blanc – Alternative Style3Riesling3Pinot Gris7Gewürztraminer1Other White Wines2Sweet Wines2Chardonnay – Current Vintage (2026, 2025, 2024)12Rosé2Pinot Noir – Current Vintage (2026, 2025, 2024)9Pinot Noir – 2022 and older2 Total70
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