Shiraz World Tasting

The 20^th edition of the Syrah du Monde international wine competition, organised by Forum Oenologie, has just come to an end. Over the course of two days, international experts tasted 159 Syrah/Shiraz wines from all over the world. Diversity and quality are the watchwords for the 2026 winners, which comes as no surprise for a grape variety currently enjoying rapid growth. Strict quality standards and optimal tasting conditions enabled the international judges to award 52 medals (29 gold, 23 silver) that are recognised as a reliable criterion for selection.

From the 19 to 20 of May 2026, in Ampuis Castle in Ampuis, France, an international wine competition - Syrah du Monde - recognized the world’s best Syrah/Shiraz wines, awarding reliable and representative medals. This competition is founded on a single conviction that distinctive marks of quality are the key to differentiation and to the promotion of medal-winning wines in a highly competitive and often complex marketplace. Medal-winning wineries can use their medals to develop the recognized quality of their wines.

Syrah du Monde 2026 brought together 159 wines from 20 countries, making this competition one of the world’s top events for Syrah/Shiraz wines. This marvelous success illustrates the impressive growth that this Rhone varietal has enjoyed since the 1970s.

Syrah du Monde has carved out a place of its own amongst wine competitions, thanks to its international flavour and its rigorous methods. During the three days of tasting under optimal conditions, the international expert judges awarded 52 medals in accordance with international wine competition regulations.

Syrah du Monde has progressively distinguished itself from other international competitions thanks to quality standards that are much stricter than the norm and by remaining faithful to its founding principles: diversity, quality and high standards.

At the top of the best Syrah du Monde

Among all the medal-winning wines, we are pleased to introduce you to the Syrah wines that have obtained the best scores from the tasting.

The Top 10 ranking has a strong international diversity.

Geographical diversity: With representation from 20 countries and 159 wines, Syrah du Monde offers a variety of Syrah/Shiraz wines rarely equalled in competitions of this level. This makes it one of the most significant and legitimate qualitative competitions in recognizing the world’s best Syrah/Shiraz wines.

A strong participation of wines from South-Africa, Brazil, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland.

From France, the good partipation of Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and the northern and southern Rhone Valley is noted with a lower participation of rosés wines.

Medal-Winning Countries

Eight countries are included in the 2026 Top 10: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, Greec, Switzerland and Türkiye.

Diversity of Sensorial Expression

Each of the wines that distinguished themselves at Syrah du Monde did so because of their own distinctive quality, not in comparison to other wines. A favorable score was given to wines with good Syrah varietal character and a well-balanced oak was considered to be a plus. However, oakiness was marked down if it masked varietal aromas and flavours.

Several gold and silver medals were awarded to wines with well-balanced alcohol levels and with aroma intensity and depth including a wide range from exotic to traditional. In the mouth, harmonious tannins and fine expressions of aging were favorably evaluated.

Several marks of quality were awarded to younger wines and to rosé wines whose aromatic complexity and soft tannins won over the judges.

This event was a unique opportunity to bring together and discover Syrah/Shiraz wine in all its forms: red, rosé, still, sparkling, dry or sweet.