The Wine Society Pick List

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4 June 2026

Welcome to my bi-annual summary, which is updated every June and December to bring you the best wine recommendations. Across the recent Autumn and Spring/Summer press tastings, I have tasted over 240 wines to curate this ultimate buyer’s guide.

To help you easily navigate their web site, I have grouped my standout favourites by country, complete with their vintage, price, and a short tasting note. Please note that at the time of writing, not all wines may be in stock yet and prices are subject to change.

England

The Society’s Exhibition English Blanc de Blancs (2018) – £28.81 This traditional method sparkling wine offers clear aromas of brioche accompanied by fine pastry flavours and fresh citrus acidity.

France

Cuvée Laborie Blanc (2024) – £7.95 This fantastic value, rounded Gascony white offers clear ripe grapefruit and kiwi flavours.
Terra Santa Blanc IGP Ile de Beauté (2025) – £9.75 An intensely floral and vivid Corsican Vermentino bursting with redcurrant, cranberry, and peach notes.
Le Bosc Pinot Noir Rosé Pays d’Oc (2025) – £9.75 An expressive, lower-cost rosé delivering long red-fruited flavours that provide a delightful impression of sweetness.
Beaujolais Domaine Desgranges (2025) – £9.95 This pale, dry Gamay shows perfumed red fruits with a lovely silky texture and a gentle tannic grip.
Mademoiselle de Pennautier Blanc (2025) – £11.50 A remarkably well-blended white offering lemongrass aromas and dried apricot flavours with an impressively textured mouthfeel.
Marcillac ‘Lo Sang del Pais’ Domaine du Cros (2024) – £11.50 A red with oaky aromas and initial tannins that mellow beautifully into a smooth sip once opened in the glass.
C de Sec Château Closiot, Barsac (2023) – £14.95 A deep, barrel-fermented white delivering soft pear, vanilla, and orange citrus notes from very ripe Sémillon.
Fleurie, Les Douzes Perles Vieilles Vignes (2018) – £14.95 A superb, medium-weight Gamay from 70-year-old vines displaying deep red berry flavours and strong violet aromas.
Chardonnay Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon Le Village (2024) – £18.00 This masterful, Burgundian-style Chardonnay layers creamy stone fruit with an elegantly subtle, nutty oak influence.
Domaine Boxler Crémant d’Alsace (2020) – £25.00 This lovely brioche and apple-scented sparkler resembles Champagne but offers an appealing touch more sweetness.
The Society’s Champagne Brut NV (NV) – £36.50 This crisp, biscuit-scented bestselling Champagne finishes with a long, precise, and chalky elegance.
Domaine Jérôme Fornerot Saint-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenière (2022) – £41.00 This delicate, smooth, and warming Burgundian Chardonnay reveals exceptional depth and elegant apricot flavours.
The Society’s Champagne Brut NV Magnum (NV) – £68.63 Aged for five years on the lees, this excellently balanced Champagne boasts baked apple, citrus, and nutty toastiness.

Spain

Care Tinto Sobre Lías Garnacha-Syrah Cariñena (2025) – £9.50 An appealingly delicate yet deep red packed with luscious strawberry flavours and profound violet aromas.
Pazo do Mar Blanco, Ribeiro (2025) – £9.95 This very round, melon-flavoured white blend gives a delightful, though technically dry, impression of sweetness.
Rezabal Txacoli Rosé, Getariako Txakolina (2025) – £12.95 A novel, light, and refreshing low-alcohol rosé featuring a gentle fizz and a brilliant, long salty finish.
Finca Míllara Lagariza Ribeira Sacra (2023) – £13.50 This fresh, expressive Mencía bursts with bright cherry flavours, lifted violets, and a subtle touch of liquorice.
Piedra Fluida Majec (2023) – £14.95 A light but deep-fruited wine from Tenerife offering smoky oak aromas and pleasing medium tannins.
The Society’s Exhibition “Selección Especial” Rioja Reserva (2021) – £18.50 An elegant, beautifully matured red offering dried fruits, leather, and sweet spice from an outstanding vintage.
La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva (2016) – £36.00 A highly rated, mature Rioja seamlessly combining woody, fruity, and spicy flavours with beautifully smooth tannins.

Chile

Undurraga Candelabro Itata Reserva Cinsault (2024) – £8.95 This excellent value, highly aromatic floral red is full of ripe raspberry fruit and a delicate touch of tannin.
Clos de Luz Agras País (2023) – £12.95 A very light-coloured, strawberry-led field blend from 100-year-old vines showcasing an earthy, savoury edge.
Matetic EQ D.O. San Antonio Syrah (2021) – £22.00 An intensely coloured, full-bodied Syrah packed with spicy dark fruit, smoked meat, and black pepper complexity.
Clos de Luz Carmenère (2021) – £31.00 A ripe, dark-fruited wine from ancient vines featuring savoury herbs, green peppercorn, and smoky aromatic notes.
Koyle AUMA D.O. Los Lingues Colchagua Valley (2020) – £49.00 This luxurious, generous blend delivers intense leather, smoke, and black fruit character with exceptional length.

Australia

Bannockburn Geelong Shiraz (2022) – £24.00 A distinctive, highly aromatic Shiraz that brilliantly balances an intense woody aroma with savoury, complex fruit.
Cirillo 1850 Ancestor Vine Barossa Valley Grenache (2018) – £44.00 This rich South Australian Grenache boasts liquorice aromas layered over deep blackcurrant and spice flavours.

USA

Camins 2 Dreams Yila Red (2023) – £22.00 This highly unusual, unfiltered natural wine blends multiple grapes to create a tangy, deep-fruited, and savoury profile.
Ridge Grenache Blanc (2024) – £42.00 A creamy, softly rounded stone fruit white with honeysuckle aromas and a mouth-watering touch of salinity.

Austria

Tochter & Vater Grüner Veltliner (2024) – £12.50 A lively and rounded Austrian white featuring excellent citrus aromas and delicious ripe melon flavours.

Greece

A Priori Mantinea Moschofilero, Novus (2024) – £13.95 A pure, bright, and salty white reminiscent of the sharp, refreshing kiwi notes found in New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Portugal

Quinta de la Rosa Douro Rosé (2025) – £19.50 A premium Portuguese rosé offering a remarkable and complex distinction between its inviting aroma and its flavour profile.

Pick Lists

Did You Know?

Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More

Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More

People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More

In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More

UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More

For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More

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