The 10 wines you should be drinking in 2026

Whether because of stereotypes or evolving tastes, these ten wine varieties tend to be dismissed, but they still offer great beauty and are worth exploring. (Nishant Choksi/The New York Times)

By ERIC ASIMOV

Fashions come and go, it’s said, but style is eternal.

It holds true with wine, too. Different wines fade in and out of popularity, but good ones deserve recognition regardless of the trends.

I have picked 10 wine genres here that I feel have either been arbitrarily dismissed or have evaporated from consciousness. I’ve recommended a few bottles to try, in several different price ranges, though some, like Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and Sauternes, do not have inexpensive options.

Some of these wines have been the victims of stereotypes — “all California chardonnays are oaky and buttery,” for example. Others, like port, Sauternes and sweet rieslings have fallen by the wayside because of evolving tastes, changing attitudes about health and busier lives.

Genres like Napa cabernet, California chardonnay, Bordeaux and Ribera del Duero were prized during an earlier critical cycle that sought power, ripeness and flamboyance. Different tastes developed, and genres that were identified with the older era were rejected at large.

It’s wrong to dismiss entire groups. Some producers within these groups always made wines in more restrained styles than imagined, and others have evolved with the times. The diversity of styles available today is a wonderful thing.

I have always believed in avoiding rigid beliefs about types of wine. While it’s tempting to write off an entire genre because of one unpleasant bottle, it’s important to remember that every genre of wine encompasses a wide range of styles. California chardonnay can range from buttery and oaky to steely and minerally.

Here, then, are 10 genres in alphabetical order that I believe deserve reconsideration.

Bordeaux

I once asked English wine writer Hugh Johnson why the Brits loved Bordeaux so much, and he said, “Because it’s just a great drink.” He’s right. Good Bordeaux is medium-bodied, with a leafy, cedary, savory quality underlying subtle fruit flavors. It should not be thick and sweet-fruited, but rather dry and refreshing: a great accompaniment to roast chicken or pork chops, not just the cliched beef dishes. Yes, it often needs a few years of age to open, and yes, sometimes Bordeaux can be corporate and stolid. Many famous labels are expensive, but a lot of great, less-expensive, under-the-radar bottles are out there.

Bottles to Try: $20 to $25, Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux; $30 to $50, Château Falfas Côtes de Bourg; $50 to $75, Château le Puy Vin de France “Emilien.”

California Chardonnay

I don’t think any sort of wine has been stereotyped as much as California chardonnay. Oaky, buttery, bombastic — that could once have described the dominant style, but those days are long gone. California chardonnays now come in a multitude of styles with plenty of fresh, lively, complex bottles along with those lush, full-blown wines and many in between. Don’t sell these wines short.

Bottles to Try: $30 to $40, Hanzell Moon Mountain District Sebella Chardonnay; $40 to $55, Peay Vineyards Sonoma Coast Chardonnay; over $75, any chardonnay from Ceritas Wines.

Merlot

It took one movie, “Sideways” from 2004, to exalt pinot noir and turn merlot into a pariah. Merlot has never recovered. I won’t lie, most of the merlots then made in California were not good. But this grape, a leading component of the wines on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, is capable of greatness. It is the primary component of Pomerol and of Château le Puy Emilien, which I recommended above. And I have had superb examples from California. One retails for around $200, but if you have the wherewithal, try Ink Grade’s Howell Mountain Lost Clouds merlot to taste a great one. Fun fact: Marie Vayron Ponsonnet of Colète is of the same family that makes Château Bourgneuf Pomerol.

Bottles to Try: $30 to $40, Emme Nakai Vineyard Russian River Valley Merlot “It’s Not a Phase”; $60 to $80, Colète Napa Valley Merlot; $80 to $90, Château Bourgneuf Pomerol.

Napa Cabernet

No way around it, good Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon is expensive. And that’s only part of the problem. As with Bordeaux, many reject the wines as old-fashioned, overblown or simply dull. As far as I’m concerned, good cabernet is never out of fashion, and while the overblown style is still common, many restrained examples are out there. Napa cabernet will generally be riper and fruitier than Bordeaux, but not by too much. It should also be savory and refreshing, and with sufficient age, it will soften and gain a lovely complexity.

Bottles to Try: $60 to $80, Frog’s Leap Napa Valley Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon; Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District, Cabernet Sauvignon; $80 to $100, Matthiasson Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Port and Madeira

Stereotypes are not the problem with port and Madeira so much as how and when to drink them. The era of cigars and after-dinner drinks is long gone. The French enjoy white port as an aperitif, but I prefer vermouth or fino sherry. Occasionally, though, it’s worth having a glass with cheese as a reminder of how glorious sweet fortified wines can be. Of the various types, I will recommend aged tawny port and bual Madeira. If you store an open bottle of tawny port in a cool, dark place, it will last a couple of months, while an open bottle of Madeira will last forever.

Bottles to Try: $40 to $60, Taylor Fladgate 20-Year-Old Tawny Port, Rare Wine Company Historic Series Madeira Boston Bual Special Reserve.

Ribera del Duero

I have said Spain is the most exciting country in the world for wine because so many producers are working conscientiously to rejuvenate moribund regions and resurrect old styles. Ribera del Duero, the center of exaggerated reds of a now bygone era, has been slow to get on board. But a handful of producers, working with tino fino, as tempranillo is known there, and other grapes, are showing how lovely the wines can be in a more restrained style.

Bottles to Try: $18 to $25, Alfredo Maestro Ribero del Duero Viña Almate Tinto Fino; $25 to $40, Goyo García Viadero Ribera del Duero Joven de Viñas Viejas; $40 to $60, Dominio del Águila Ribera del Duero Picaro del Aguila Viñas Viejas.

Sauternes and Barsac

As with sweet fortified wines, these dazzling sweet wines from neighboring regions of Bordeaux, augmented by the wondrous fungus Botrytis cinerea, the fabled noble rot, are largely consigned to memory. Yet, open a bottle and be reminded of their luscious, kaleidoscopic beauty. Good ones are expensive because they are risky to make and labor intensive. But what a treat. They are wonderful with cheese — the match with blue cheese is legendary. But they are surprisingly great with oysters, and my colleague Florence Fabricant once suggested I try them with latkes. It was brilliant.

Bottles to Try: $40 to $65, Château Doisy-Daëne Barsac; $80 to $120, Château Climens, Barsac; $120 to $170, Château de Fargues Sauternes.

Savennières

I once described this dry chenin blanc from the Anjou region of the Loire Valley as the thinking person’s white. It’s not a big dog of a wine, friendly and eager, but more reticent, with a feline’s regal elegance. I wouldn’t say it’s out of fashion, just out of mind. Consider this your reminder. Give Savennières time to unwind — better yet, decant it ahead of time.

Bottles to Try: $40 to $55, Domaine du Closel Savennières La Jalousie; $60 to $70, Domaine aux Moines, Savennières, La Roche aux Moines; $90 to $105 Thibaud Boudignon Savennières Clos de Fremine

Sherry (Fino and Manzanilla)

I love these bone-dry sherries, which age in barrels under layers of yeast called flor, as aperitifs and with traditional pairings like Marcona almonds and jamon Ibérico. These wines come from Andalusia in Spain, a currently dynamic region full of fascinating rediscoveries and wonderful wines. But even as those wines take center stage, let’s not forget the beauty of good fino and manzanilla.

Bottles to Try: $20 to $40, Hidalgo-La Gitana Manzanilla en Rama or Valdespino Fino Inocente; $40 to $60, Fernando de Castilla Fino Antique (500 milliliters).

Spätlese Riesling

These sweet yet tense rieslings from Germany are gorgeous, but most people, including the Germans, aren’t having them. The world has moved on to dry rieslings, and I love those, too. But I don’t want to forget the beauty of these wines, which walk a perilous tightrope, balancing complex sweet flavors and a lively acidity that makes them incredibly refreshing and versatile with food.

Bottles to Try: $25 to $40, Carl Loewen Mosel Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Spätlese; $40 to $60, Weiser-Künstler Mosel Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Spätlese; $60 to $80, Joh. Jos. Prüm Mosel Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese.