This past April, experienced judges evaluated a total of 126 wine kit entries as part of the 2026 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition that had a grand total of 1,043 entries. This large collection of kit entries was sent into the competition from across North America. The 126 wine kit entries were entered into 21 different categories and represented a broad selection of varietals and blends from all major kit manufacturers. 

Over the course of three days, wine judging panels examined all entries, both kit and non-kit, using the University of California-Davis 20-point wine scale giving their scores on appearance, aroma, taste, aftertaste, and overall impression. All judging was done blind meaning those evaluating each entry were given a pre-poured glass of wine with absolutely no identification attached except a tracking number. The judges had no idea whether the entry was made from a kit or fresh fruit. All the judges knew about each entry was the category entered. Entries were awarded gold, silver, bronze, and Best of Show medals based on the average score given by the judging panel. Click here for a full rundown of the
2026 medalists.

We’ve found many WineMaker readers looking to purchase a wine kit refer back to each year’s competition results as a third-party list of specific wine kits that scored well in the blind judging and thus are capable of producing an award-winning wine. Nineteen years ago we decided to go one step further and put the spotlight on the top scoring kits from the competition. What follows is the 2026 ranking based on the average scores given by judges of the top performing kit entries this year. By extending all the judging scores out to the furthest decimal point we were able to compile this ranked list of those kit entries that had the highest average scores in the 2026 competition.

This kit list represents the top-scoring kit entries with the highest average scores from 2026 that have shown the potential in a blind judging format to make excellent wines. We organized these top kits not only in numerical order, but also broken out into general wine style categories for easy reference. Cheers!

Top 50 Wine Kits 

1. Winexpert Après Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Wine

2. RJS Craft Winemaking Cru Specialty Chocolate Mocha Dessert Wine

3. Winexpert Limited Edition Besito

4. Winexpert Après Riesling Icewine Style

5. RJS Craft Winemaking Cru International German Müller-Thurgau

6. Winexpert Classic Moscato

7. Master Vintner Sommelier Select Italian Pinot Grigio

8. Vintner’s Harvest Elderberry  

9. Winexpert Revelation Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

10. RJS Craft Winemaking Grand Cru Merlot

11. RJS Craft Winemaking Cru Specialty Chocolate Cherry Dessert Wine

12. Mosti Mondiale Masters Edition Chilean Carménère

13. Master Vintner Winemaker’s Reserve Carménère

14. Winexpert Après Vanilla Bourbon Dessert Wine

15. Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series Pear

16. Master Vintner Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir

17. RJS Craft Winemaking En Primeur Chilean Carménère

18. RJS Craft Winemaking En Primeur Super Tuscan

19. RJS Craft Winemaking Grand Cru Pinot Noir

20. RJS Craft Winemaking Restricted Quantities Australian Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec

21. Finer Wine Kits Prodigy Chardonnay 

22. Winexpert Private Reserve Limited Release California Pinot Noir 

23. RJS Craft Winemaking Grand Cru Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot

24. Vintner’s Best Black Raspberry

25. Winexpert Après Salted Caramel Dessert Wine

26. Winexpert Private Reserve Colosso Sangiovese Primitivo Nerello

27. Global Vintners California Moscato

28. RJS Craft Winemaking Restricted Quantities Spanish Petit Verdot

29. Argentia Ridge Château Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon

30. Mosti Mondiale Fresco Italian Montepulciano

31. Winexpert Island Mist Blueberry Pinot Noir

32. Finer Wine Kits Super Tuscan Forte

33. Mosti Mondiale Fresco New York Riesling

34. RJS Craft Winemaking Cru Specialty Toasted Caramel Dessert Wine

35. Winexpert Chilean Malbec

36. Winexpert Classic Australian Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre

37. Winexpert Selection International South African Pinotage

38. Winexpert Twisted Mist Limited Edition Sex on the Beach

39. Mosti Mondiale Renaissance Australian Chardonnay

40. Winexpert Diablo Rojo

41. Winexpert Island Mist Peach Apricot Chardonnay

42. Winexpert Limited Edition Reserve Pinot Noir

43. Finer Wine Kits Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

44. Mosti Mondiale Fresco Italian Corvina Corvinone Rondinella

45. RJS Craft Winemaking Orchard Breezin’ Green Apple Delight

46. VineCo Estate Series California Pinot Noir

47. VineCo Signature Series French Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

48. Winexpert Island Mist Blood Orange Sangria

49. Winexpert Reserve Australian Grenache Rosé

50. Winexpert Reserve Montepulciano

Top 50 Wine Kits by Varietal/Wine Style 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Winexpert Revelation Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (9)

Argentia Ridge Château Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (29)

CARMÉNÈRE

Mosti Mondiale Masters Edition Chilean Carménère (12)

Master Vintner Winemaker’s Reserve Carménère (13)

RJS Craft Winemaking En Primeur Chilean Carménère (17)

MERLOT

RJS Craft Winemaking Grand Cru Merlot (10)

MONTEPULCIANO

Mosti Mondiale Fresco Italian Montepulciano (30)

Winexpert Reserve Montepulciano (50)

PINOT NOIR

Master Vintner Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir (16)

RJS Craft Winemaking Grand Cru Pinot Noir (19)

Winexpert Private Reserve Limited Release California Pinot Noir (22)

Winexpert Limited Edition Reserve Pinot Noir (42)

VineCo Estate Series California Pinot Noir (46)

OTHER RED VARIETALS

RJS Craft Winemaking Restricted Quantities Spanish Petit Verdot (28)

Winexpert Chilean Malbec (35)

Winexpert Selection International South African Pinotage (37)

RED BLENDS

RJS Craft Winemaking En Primeur Super Tuscan (18)

RJS Craft Winemaking Restricted Quantities Australian Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec (20)

RJS Craft Winemaking Grand Cru Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot (23)

Winexpert Private Reserve Colosso Sangiovese Primitivo Nerello (26)

Finer Wine Kits Super Tuscan Forte (32)

Winexpert Classic Australian Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre (36)

Winexpert Diablo Rojo (40)

Finer Wine Kits Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (43)

Mosti Mondiale Fresco Italian Corvina Corvinone Rondinella (44)

VineCo Signature Series French Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (47)

CHARDONNAY

Finer Wine Kits Prodigy Chardonnay (21)

Mosti Mondiale Renaissance Australian Chardonnay (39)

MOSCATO/MUSCAT

Winexpert Classic Moscato (6)

Global Vintners California Moscato (27)

PINOT GRIGIO/PINOT GRIS

Master Vintner Sommelier Select Italian Pinot Grigio (7)

OTHER WHITE VARIETALS

RJS Craft Winemaking Cru International German Müller-Thurgau (5)

Mosti Mondiale Fresco New York Riesling (33)

WHITE BLENDS

Winexpert Limited Edition Besito (3)

BLUSH/ROSÉ

Winexpert Reserve Australian Grenache Rosé (49)

LATE HARVEST & ICE WINE STYLE

Winexpert Après Riesling Icewine Style (4)

DESSERT STYLE

Winexpert Après Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Wine (1)

RJS Craft Winemaking Cru Specialty Chocolate Mocha Dessert Wine (2)

RJS Craft Winemaking Cru Specialty Chocolate Cherry Dessert Wine (11)

Winexpert Après Vanilla Bourbon Dessert Wine (14)

Winexpert Après Salted Caramel Dessert Wine (25)

RJS Craft Winemaking Cru Specialty Toasted Caramel Dessert Wine (34)

HARD CIDER OR PERRY

Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series Pear (15)

GRAPE & NON-GRAPE BLENDS

Winexpert Island Mist Blueberry Pinot Noir (31)

Winexpert Twisted Mist Limited Edition Sex on the Beach (38)

Winexpert Island Mist Peach Apricot Chardonnay (41)

RJS Craft Winemaking Orchard Breezin’ Green Apple Delight (45)

Winexpert Island Mist Blood Orange Sangria (48)

NON-GRAPE COUNTRY FRUIT WINES

Vintner’s Harvest Elderberry (8)

Vintner’s Best Black Raspberry (24)