My Top 10 Wines as a WSET-Certified Wine Lover: 2026 Picks Worth Stocking Your Wine Fridge With
Ten bottles I keep coming back to, backed by real WSET training and years of actual tasting.
Disclaimer: I do use affiliate links in this blog meaning that if you purchase anything through my affiliate links I receive commission at no additional cost to you! I only recommend products that I have heavily researched, tested and loved, and/or used for several years.
Ruinart Rosé
Ruinart is the oldest established Champagne house, founded all the way back in 1729, and their Rosé is one of the most iconic in the entire category. It's made primarily from Pinot Noir, with a distinctive coral-pink hue and a delicate, fruit-forward profile—think notes of red berries and a touch of spice, all wrapped in that signature Ruinart finesse. I visited the Champagne house this past fall and will be publishing a dedicated post on that trip soon. Honestly, I would drink this one every single day if I could—it's that incredible!
Antinori Tignanello
Tignanello is one of the wines that defined the entire Super Tuscan category—a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc that broke from Chianti Classico's traditional rules back in the 1970s and completely redefined what Tuscan wine could be. I visited the Antinori winery in Italy and actually have a full blog post on that trip, if you want to dive deeper into the estate itself. The wine is rich, structured, and layered with dark cherry, tobacco, and baking spice, backed by firm tannins that give it real aging potential. tobacco, and baking spice, backed by firm tannins that give it real aging potential. Tignanello is truly so delicious, and it's one of the most highly regarded wines in the entire industry, consistently earning critical acclaim and a reputation as one of Italy's most iconic bottles. It's the perfect special occasion wine!
P.S. I trust Antinori across the board, no matter the price range!
DuMOL Wester Reach Pinot Noir
DuMOL's Wester Reach Pinot Noir is a Russian River Valley blend built from several of the region's most storied vineyard sites, including DuMOL Estate, Hanna, Dutton Ranch, and more. What I love about it is the complexity—it layers ripe cherry and strawberry fruit with earthier notes like mushroom, cola, and wild rose, all wrapped in a silky, balanced texture that's become a hallmark of DuMOL's style since Andy Smith started the winery back in 1996. It's a Pinot that rewards you for actually slowing down and paying attention to it, which is exactly the kind of bottle a WSET education teaches you to appreciate even more.
Liquid Farm Chardonnay
I'll admit it—I'm basically a grandma when it comes to my favorite evening drink, and Liquid Farm Chardonnay is exactly why. I drink it multiple times a month, which says a lot considering how many bottles pass through my kitchen. Liquid Farm sources their fruit from the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, one of California's coolest Chardonnay-growing regions, and it shows in the glass: bright acidity, mineral-driven structure, and a restrained, elegant style that never leans too oaky or heavy. It's the kind of Chardonnay that makes even a random Tuesday night feel a little more special.
Royal Tokaji Red Label 5 Puttonyos
For anyone who's studied dessert wines through WSET, Tokaji holds a special place—it's the world's original sweet white wine, once dubbed "the wine of kings, and the king of wines." Royal Tokaji's Red Label 5 Puttonyos is made from botrytis-affected Furmint, Hárslevelű, and Muscat grapes, sourced from some of Hungary's first-growth classified vineyards. On the nose, it shows pronounced aromas of dried apricot, raisin, dried mango, and orange marmalade, with vanilla, cedar, honey, and caramel developing underneath—the kind of complexity that easily earns it a very good to outstanding rating. It's the perfect example of why sweet wine deserves so much more respect than it usually gets—a glass of this alongside a cheese plate is a genuinely elegant way to end a meal. I love bringing this one to celebrations!
Josmeyer Riesling Grand Cru Brand Alsace
Alsace is one of my favorite regions to study through WSET, and Josmeyer's Brand Grand Cru is a perfect example of why. Domaine Josmeyer has been certified organic and biodynamic since 2004, and the Brand vineyard sits on a rare granite terroir woven with quartz, feldspar, and mica, which gives the wine its distinct minerality. This bottling is pure, precise, and mineral-driven, with white fruit and citrus notes carried by well-integrated acidity—a textbook example of what makes Grand Cru Alsace Riesling worth seeking out over the more everyday bottlings. It's dry, food-friendly, and pairs beautifully with shellfish, but it's also complex enough to sip and study on its own.
This one's a little harder to find than the others on this list, but The Wine House in LA carries it, both online and in-store.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
The wine that put Napa Valley on the world map! Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, founded in 1970 by Warren Winiarski, became legendary in 1976 when its 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon won first place at the Judgment of Paris—a blind tasting where it beat out top Bordeaux first-growths and stunned the French wine establishment. That win is often credited with putting American wine on the map as a serious contender on the world stage. Their style has always been described as "an iron fist in a velvet glove"—rich and structured, but with real elegance and restraint. Notes of cassis, blueberry, mocha, and anise layer beautifully with firm tannins and real aging potential. It's history in a glass, and it's exactly the kind of bottle that deserves the top spot on this list.
Hartford Court Three Jacks Chardonnay & Velvet Sisters Pinot Noir
I couldn't pick just one Hartford Court wine for this list, so I'm cheating a little — but honestly, all of their wines are amazing. The majority of their releases consistently earn 90+ point scores from major critics like Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, and Vinous, with several bottles landing in the mid-to-high 90s. Three Jacks Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a small, historic Green Valley vineyard in the Russian River Valley, farmed by the Dutton family since it was planted in 1995. It's rich and mineral-driven, with layered notes of citrus, orchard fruit, and honeycomb that manage to feel weighty and lively at the same time. On the red side, Velvet Sisters Pinot Noir is sourced from the cool-climate Falk Vineyard in Anderson Valley, delivering a perfumed nose of violets and rose with a silky, layered palate of dark cherry, blueberry, and warm spice. Hartford Court has built a real reputation for single-vineyard bottlings that genuinely reflect their specific terroir, and these two are proof of exactly why that reputation is earned.
P.S. They also have a great tasting room in downtown Healdsburg, so if you're already visiting the area for wine tasting, it's an easy add to the itinerary!
Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne
Billecart-Salmon Rosé is one of those bottles that instantly elevates any occasion. It's made using the saignée method—where a small amount of red wine from Pinot Noir is blended in to achieve its signature pale salmon-pink hue—and it's consistently regarded as one of the most elegant rosé Champagnes on the market. Delicate red berry notes, a fine, persistent mousse, and a finish that's crisp without ever feeling austere. It's the kind of Champagne that makes even a Tuesday feel like a celebration, and it's a bottle I genuinely think about long after the glass is empty.
Flowers Pinot Noir
I first discovered Flowers Pinot Noir visiting their winery in Healdsburg—and the patio there is honestly stunning, tucked into lush gardens that make the whole tasting experience feel like an event in itself. Flowers focuses almost exclusively on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the far Sonoma Coast, and their cool-climate approach shows in every glass: bright red fruit, elegant acidity, and a real sense of place. It's the kind of Pinot that over-delivers on elegance without feeling overly delicate, which is exactly what earned it a spot on this list.
