From Champagne to Moravia: the CMB reveals its 2026 Sparkling Wines palmares
In late May, the Armenian capital of Yerevan hosted three days of blind tasting bringing together the world’s most prestigious sparkling wines. The results of the Sparkling Wines Session of the 33rd edition of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles | CMB are now revealed. Nearly 1,000 sparkling wines from 30 countries were assessed by an international panel of professional tasters. France dominated the competition, but lesser-known nations such as the Czech Republic and Luxembourg drew attention to the quality of their performances.
The four Revelations of the 2026 Sparkling Wines Session
The most prestigious distinction of the Session, the Sparkling Wines International Revelation 2026, was awarded to Or du Temps 2012 by Apicius Diffusion (Champagne, France), Grand Gold Medal. A consecration for the world’s most iconic sparkling wine region.
Three additional Revelations completed the panorama of the Session:
- The Sparkling Wines Revelation Spain went to Monjardín Selección Familiar Gran Añada Brut Nature 2018 by Bodegas Castillo de Monjardín (Navarra).
- The Sparkling Wines Revelation Italy went to René 2017 by Feudo Disisa (Sicilia DOC), shining a spotlight on a region rarely associated with fine bubbles.
- The Semi-Sweet Revelation 2026 went to Znovín Classic Sekt Demi-Sec 2007 by Národní Vinařské Centrum (Moravia, Czech Republic), Grand Gold Medal. A remarkable distinction for a sparkling wine produced in 2007, from an emerging European wine region.
A French show of force: 15 of the 21 Grand Gold Medals!
The 2026 palmares confirms France’s traditional supremacy in the sparkling wine world. France collected 15 of the 21 Grand Gold Medals awarded across the entire Session, or 71% of the highest distinctions. With 104 medals for 205 wines submitted, the country achieved a 51% success rate: one in every two French wines was awarded a medal. The comparison is striking: it is the equivalent of a single nation taking seven out of ten Olympic gold medals in a single discipline.
Italy leads on volume, Spain and Portugal complete the Latin trio
Italy remains the largest contingent of the Session with 224 wines submitted and 70 medals (3 Grand Gold, 22 Gold, 45 Silver), ranging from Veneto’s Prosecco and Lombardy’s Franciacorta and Oltrepò Pavese to the Sicilian Revelation that placed the south of the country on the sparkling wine map.
Spain rounds out the top three with 128 wines and 46 medals (1 Grand Gold, 23 Gold, 22 Silver), driven primarily by the Cava DO of Catalonia and crowned by the Navarran Revelation.
Portugal posts one of the most striking qualitative progressions of the Session with 20 medals for 51 wines submitted, up from 18 medals on 71 wines in 2025.
Luxembourg & Czech Republic: the emerging stories
Beyond the traditional powers, three smaller nations left a strong mark on the 2026 Session.
Luxembourg records the most spectacular progression of the Session. From 6 wines submitted in 2025 to 16 in 2026, the Grand Duchy collected 9 medals and posted a 56% success rate, the best of all significantly represented countries. Crémant de Luxembourg AOP is establishing itself as a serious benchmark in the European sparkling segment.
The Czech Republic nearly tripled its participation (from 9 to 25 wines) and obtained 7 medals including a Grand Gold for the Semi-Sweet Revelation. The Moravia region, and specifically the Znojemska appellation, confirms its emergence as a European terroir to watch.
You can find the full list of awarded wines on https://results.concoursmondial.com/en/results
NEW // CMB MERIT
Beyond the 314 medals, the 2026 Sparkling Wines Session also distinguished 423 additional wines with the CMB MERIT label, delivered to wines scoring at least 86/100 without securing a medal.
You can find the full list of CMB MERIT wines here
About the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles | CMB
The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles is a prestigious international wine competition receiving more than 15,000 entries each year across its Sessions and competitions. Its exclusively professional tasters evaluate wines blind with a single objective: to select those of the highest quality, without any prejudice based on the reputation of the label or the appellation. The CMB began in 1994 and is today recognised worldwide as one of the most prominent events of its kind.
More than just a competition, the CMB also provides each participant with concrete marketing tools to better showcase their wines and communicate more effectively. It also develops the CMB Experience network, comprising wine bars, restaurants and retailers across the world offering a selection of award-winning wines, creating international visibility and unique opportunities to introduce these wines to consumers worldwide.
You can find the official pictures of the competition on www.flickr.com/photos/concoursmondial/albums/
Press contact:
Benoît Carion
benoit.carion@vinopres.com
