Trailing Japan by five points before the final glass, France won the 2026 World Tasting Championship, organized by La RVF, on Saturday at Avignon’s Palais des Papes.
From 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, 41 teams from five continents gathered beneath the vaults of Avignon’s Palais des Papes for the 2026 World Tasting Championship final, organized by La Revue du vin de France. The format was unchanged: 12 blind-tasted wines, with four details required for each—the grape variety, country of origin, appellation, and vintage.
After 12 wines, France won with 189 points, ahead of Japan (181) and Brazil (159). The defending champions fielded only two tasters: Candy Sangare, crowned French champion in June, and sommelier Camille Guilbaud.
The series opened with a trap: a 2010 Luxembourg crémant, a 16-year-old sparkling wine whose vintage was hard to place. Only one of the 41 teams scored on it: France. A 2025 South African sauvignon from Stellenbosch then favored Malta, which posted the top score, while a 2022 Australian riesling from Clare Valley suited China and Australia. After three wines, France led China, Malta, and Australia.
The fourth wine, a 2024 Shafer chardonnay from Carneros, triggered the first major shift. Eighteen teams scored no points. Kazakhstan posted the best score and jumped from 17th to third, while Japan took the lead ahead of China. The United States rose to fourth on a wine from its own vineyards; France, with only three points, slipped to fifth.
