If your idea of wine country begins and ends in Bordeaux or Napa Valley, the 2025 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) may make you rethink everything you know. It’s the world’s largest and most influential wine event, known every year for crowning a winner on the global wine scene. And while the recent awards may not have had a surprising winner, what is surprising are some of the countries whose wine scored top honors.
Photo: lizongxian/Shutterstock
You May Be Shocked by What Country Just Won a Global Wine Award
This was the 22nd year of the World Wine Awards, which are judged by 248 experts from around the world, including 22 Master Sommeliers. In 2025, those judges evaluated wine from 57 countries, accounting for more than 17,000 different wines and vintages. Only 137 wines (or .81 percent) won a Platinum rating, while 732, or 4.5 percent, won a Gold.
Chinese wine is having a moment
A vineyard in Shandong Province, China. Photo: lizongxian/Shutterstock
For the first time in history, wine from China took home top honors, proving that fine wine isn’t just about legacy. Two Chinese reds (Dongfang Yuxing Winery’s Geruihong Yeguangbei 2022 from Ningxia, and Changyu’s Noble Dragon N188 2022 from Shandong) won Best in Show, the competition’s most illustrious title. They were the only wines from Asia to crack the top 50.
The Geruihong Yeguangbei 2022 is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, dornfelder, and Cabernet Gernischt is fruity and spicy, with judges praising its “carefully extracted tannins.” The Noble Dragon N188 2022 is a blend of Cabernet Gernischt and cabernet sauvignon, and was praised for its value, as it retails for just $20. Ningxia, where Dongfang Yuxing is located, was China’s top wine region, earning 81 total medals.
What other countries made the list?
While China’s breakthrough is the headline, the awards also acknowledged traditional wine powerhouses. France maintained its title as the country with the best wine, winning 187 top medals, including 14 Best in Shows. The region of Champagne alone won 27 high-level awards, while Burgundy, Corsica, and Jura also performed very well. Italy and Spain followed in second and third place, with 138 and 105 top medals respectively, as well as multiple Best in Show winners.
But the real story is the rise of new contenders. Greece had an exceptional year, with first-ever Best in Show winners from regions like Peloponnese and Goumenissa. Australia, the United States, and Argentina all scored highly as well, with Argentina achieving a 50 percent increase in medals over last year. South Africa set a new record for Gold medals (45), and even lesser-known producers from Denmark and Uzbekistan made an appearance on the medal list.
What countries make the world’s best wines?
Photo: Danuta Hyniewska/Shutterstock
You can read the full list of the countries with the best wines in the world online here, but here’s the run down of how many wines each country had on the top 50 list.
- France: 14 winners
- Italy: 6 winners
- Spain: 5 winners
- Portugal: 5 winners
- Australia: 4 winners
- United States: 4 winners
- Greece: 4 winners
- Argentina: 2 winners
- Chile: 2 winners
- China: 2 winners
- New Zealand: 1 winner
- Slovenia: 1 winner
- South Africa: 1 winner
- United Kingdom: 1 winner
