For 40 years, the New York Wine Classic has been the standard for excellence in New York winemaking, and the 2026 competition is proof that the state’s best is only getting better.
Organized annually by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, the New York Wine Classic brings together producers from across New York State’s distinct wine regions, from Lake Erie and the Niagara Escarpment to the Finger Lakes, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island, for a blind tasting competition judged by the expert sensory panel at the Beverage Testing Institute (BevTest), comprising sommeliers, beverage directors, educators, retail buyers, and seasoned industry professionals.
This year’s winners were announced live on August 10, 2026, during the 40th Anniversary of the New York Wine Classic Awards Ceremony, hosted by Wanda Mann, East Coast Editor of The SOMM Journal & Tasting Panel and founder of Wine With Wanda.
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Ryan William Vineyard
2025 Pinot Blanc
Weis Vineyards Hammondsport, NY(Keuka Lake, Finger Lakes)
The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is proud to announce the following “Best of Category” winners:
Ryan William Vineyard 2025 Pinot Blanc
Millbrook Vineyard & Winery 2024 Cabernet Franc Clone 623
Milea Family Wines Hudson Valley Vineyards Right Bank Blanc de Blancs
Weis Vineyards 2025 Zweigelt Dry Rosé
Weis Vineyards 2024 Riesling Ice Wine
Montezuma Winery NV Cranberry Bog
Scroll down for the list of “Best in Class” winners, and a link to download the full list of competition results.
The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is proud to announce the following “Best of Class” winners:
| 2026 CLASSIC ENTRY | SCORE | AWARD(S)/MEDAL |
| Ryan William Vineyard 2025 Pinot Blanc, Seneca Lake $19 | 97 | Governor’s Cup Best Wine, Best White Wine, Best Other Vinifera White Varietal, Platinum Medal |
| Milea Family Wines Hudson Valley Vineyards NV Right Bank Blanc De Blanc, New York State $55 | 97 | Best Sparkling Wine, Best Traditional Method Sparkling Wine, Platinum Medal |
| Millbrook Vineyard & Winery Vineyard & Winery 2024 Clone 623, Cabernet Franc, Hudson River Region $55 | 97 | Best Red Wine, Best Cabernet Franc, Platinum Medal |
| Weis Vineyards 2024 Ice Wine, Riesling, Finger Lakes $59/375 ml | 97 | Best Dessert Wine, Best Ice Wine (frozen on the vine), Platinum Medal |
| Sheldrake Point Winery 2024 Estate Noble, Gewürztraminer, Finger Lakes $53/500 ml | 97 | Best Gewürztraminer, Platinum Medal |
| Three Brothers Wineries And Estates 2024 Meritage Red Blend, Finger Lakes $28 | 96 | Best Vinifera Red Blend, Best Overall Red Blend, Platinum Medal |
| Duck Walk Vineyards 2020 Pinot Meunier, Pinot Meunier, The Hamptons. $27 | 96 | Best Other Red Vinifera Varietal, Platinum Medal |
| Keuka Spring Vineyards 2024 Winemakers Reserve TBA, Riesling, Finger Lakes $120/375 ml | 96 | Best Late Harvest, Platinum Medal |
| Living Roots Wine & Co. 2024 Bone-Dry, Riesling, Finger Lakes $24 | 96 | Best Overall Riesling, Best Dry Riesling, Platinum Medal |
| Montezuma Winery NV Cranberry Bog, New York State $16 | 96 | Best Specialty Wine, Platinum Medal |
| Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2022 Cassango, Cabernet Sauvignon, Long Island $40 | 96 | Best Cabernet Sauvignon, Platinum Medal |
| Weis Vineyards 2025 Dry Rosé, Zweigelt, Finger Lakes $24 | 95 | Best Pink Wine, Best Rosé (0 to 2% RS), Gold Medal |
| Lakewood 2024 Glaciovinum, Finger Lakes $20/375 ml | 95 | Best Iced Wine (frozen after harvest), Gold Medal |
| Montezuma Winery 2024 Voleur Crowscato, Finger Lakes $30 | 95 | Best Pétillant Naturel (Pét-Nat), Gold Medal |
| Paumanok Vineyards 2025 Semi-Dry, Riesling, North Fork of Long Island $24 | 95 | Best Medium Sweet Riesling, Gold Medal |
| Three Brothers Wineries And Estates 2024 Pinot Noir, Finger Lakes $22 | 95 | Best Pinot Noir, Gold Medal |
| Weis Vineyards 2024 Winzer Select A, Riesling, Finger Lakes $28 | 95 | Best Sweet Riesling, Gold Medal |
| Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2024 Estate Barrel Fermented, Chardonnay, Seneca Lake $19 | 94 | Best Oaked Chardonnay, Gold Medal |
| Heron Hill Winery 2024 Classic, Blaufrankisch, Finger Lakes $20 | 94 | Best Lemberger/Blaufränkisch, Gold Medal |
| Jason’s Vineyard 2019 Merlot, North Fork of Long Island $35 | 94 | Best Merlot, Gold Medal |
| Johnson Estate 2024 Freelings Creek, Chambourcin, Lake Erie $17 | 94 | Best Other Red Hybrid Varietal, Gold Medal |
| Lakewood 2024 Valvin Muscat, Finger Lakes $12 | 94 | Best Other White Hybrid Varietal, Gold Medal |
| Peconic Bay Vineyards 2022 Chardonnay, North Fork of Long Island $28 | 94 | Best Overall Chardonnay, Best Unoaked Chardonnay, Gold Medal |
| Point Of The Bluff Vineyards 2025 Curtiss Series, Pinot Gris, Finger Lakes $25 | 94 | Best Pinot Gris, Gold Medal |
| Weis Vineyards 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, Finger Lakes $24 | 94 | Best Sauvignon Blanc, Gold Medal |
| Chateau LaFayette Reneau 2025 Estate, Grüner Veltliner, Seneca Lake $18 | 93 | Best Grüner Veltliner, Gold Medal |
| Jason’s Vineyard NV Bubbly Rosé, North Fork of Long Island $35 | 93 | Best Force Carbonation/Transfer Method Sparkling, Gold Medal |
| Mazza Wines 2024 The Perfect Blanc White Blend, Lake Erie $15 | 93 | Best Overall White Blend, Best Non-Vinifera White Blend, Gold Medal |
| Pindar Vineyards 2015 Cabernet Port, North Fork of Long Island $35 | 93 | Best Fortified (Port-like), Gold Medal |
| Ventosa Vineyards 2023 Semi-Dry, Riesling, Seneca Lake $21 | 93 | Best Medium Cry Riesling, Gold Medal |
| Pindar Vineyards 2019 Syrah, North Fork of Long Island $26 | 92 | Best Syrah, Gold Medal |
For the 2026 competition, NYWGF once again partnered with the Beverage Testing Institute (BevTest) to evaluate submitted wines. Scores were awarded by BevTest’s trained sensory panel, which includes beverage directors, sommeliers, retail buyers, educators, and other experienced industry professionals.
Winning wines received medal recognition and will be highlighted throughout the year through NYWGF storytelling, marketing campaigns, and industry outreach.
All wines entered are scored and may receive Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals. Additional honors include Best of Class and Best of Category, recognizing the highest-scoring red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert wines. Click here to see past “Best of” Categories and wines submitted.
The Governor’s Cup, a large silver chalice, recognizes the top wine in the competition, while the Winery of the Year award honors the winery achieving the highest overall score across its top seven grape-based wines.
Please contact Jenn Cooper, NYWGF Membership Manager, at jennifercooper@nywgf.org for your custom discount code to receive $10 OFF each wine submitted!
For 40 years, the New York Wine Classic has recognized the wines and wineries shaping the future of New York wine.
Winners receive:
+ Recognition in New York’s premier wine competition
+ Medal honors judged by experts from BevTest
+ Promotion through NYWGF marketing and storytelling throughout the year
+ Visibility among consumers, media, and trade professionals
The competition is open to any wine produced in and bearing an approved New York AVA as established by the TTB.
A complete listing of New York AVAs can be found here: https://www.ttb.gov/wine/established-avas#New-York
The competition is also open to specialty wines (non-grape wines) and mead produced in New York State.
Non-grape wines and mead will have their own award and are not eligible for the Governor’s Cup round.
BevTest will use its scoring data as the basis for the Best of Category, Best of Class, and Governor’s Cup assignments thus ensuring the impartiality and credibility of the New York Wine Classic’s results from start to finish. If there are any score ties for the ‘Best of’ or Governor’s Cup Awards, BevTest would use its typicity data (i.e., which wine is more typical of the given category) to select the winner of the tie. If there is a still a tie based on typicity, BevTest would conduct a final taste-off with its senior wine panelists and editors to determine the winner. There will be only one winner for each award, each year.
The Governor’s Cup will be awarded to the wine (only grape-based wines are eligible) with the highest overall score of the competition (learn more about BevTest’s competition methodology here). The Winery of the Year award is presented to the winery with the best overall showing of their entries. Points are awarded for a wine’s score, as well as any Best of Class (varietal type – provided there are at least 7 entries of that type), Best Overall (i.e., Riesling – all sweetness levels/ Chardonnay – oaked or unoaked, etc.), Best of Category (Sparkling, White, Pink, Red, Dessert), and /or Governor’s Cup awards that the wine has earned. The winery with the highest overall score will win Winery of the Year.
BevTest’s Points-to-Medals conversion scale:
For this engagement, BevTest’s Platinum medal would be equivalent to a Double Gold medal.
You can read more about BevTest’s methodology and judging panel at: https://bevtest.com/lab/
Ship Two (2) 750 ml bottles or equivalent to:
The Lab
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Provide shipper with our phone 773-930-4080 and email reviews@bevtest.com
Our facility is temperature-controlled, you may ship as early as you like. Bottles will be appropriately stored and cared for based on style.
For clients not authorized to ship alcohol with any shipper (ex., FedEx, UPS, etc.), Beverage Testing Institute can create an AWB from their sister company, OK Imports, on your behalf. We will need you to provide the following details:
Lastly, we will send you an invoice after generating the label for you. Please reach out to deb@bevtest.com for this service.
Top award winners will be announced live during the 2026 Classic Awards Ceremony this Summer. The complete list of individual wine results will be released following the event and published on our website.
Still have questions?
If you are a winery with questions regarding submissions reach out to BevTest’s Client Marketing Manager, Billy Oken, via e-mail billy@bevtest.com or call 773-930-4080.
If you have any questions regarding this year’s competition, or if you are a NYWGF Member and need your $10 OFF discount code, please reach out to Jennifer Cooper, Membership Manager.
Fill out the form below and Jennifer Cooper, NYWGF Membership and Events Manager, will be happy to assist you!