Every year, we ask our members (Angels) to do something pretty important: pick their favourite wines of the year.Not a panel of wine judges. Not a room full of critics. The people who fund and sip the wines.
This year, thousands of Angels cast their votes across 12 exceptional wines from independent winemakers. And after all those votes were counted, two wines came out on top.
Meet your 2026 winners…
🏆 Red Wine of the Year 2026: Four Men and a Shed Barossa Shiraz 2025 Winemaker: Stuart Bourne
Rich, generous and packed with flavour, this is a seriously good bottle made by a seriously good winemaker.
And now it has another accolade to add to the trophy cabinet: Angels have voted it Naked’s Red Wine of the Year 2026.
Rated 97% by Angels, it’s the kind of Shiraz you’ll want in your glass again and again.
“It’s a love letter to the Barossa.”
Stuart Bourne’s reaction to the news was… enthusiastic (and involved a lot of bleeping). After getting through the sweary part of his immediate response, Stuey summed it up pretty simply:
“How good is that!?”
For Stuart, the win is as much a celebration of the growers behind the wine as it is the winemaking itself. “It’s a testimony to our grower base, who have been with us for years on handshake arrangements. The fruit is high end and always has great Barossa quality.”
Many of those growers are fifth-generation farmers, working the same blocks year after year.
“These growers are at the top of their game. Many of these people are fifth generation farm folk, they know their ground.”
That long-term relationship is a big part of what makes this wine so consistent - and why Angels have kept coming back to it.
“It’s an everyday price for an internationally renowned region, variety and style. You’re getting high-end Barossa Shiraz for nowhere near the coin many others would charge.”
And Stuey has a pretty perfect way of describing what he thinks the wine represents:
“It’s a love letter to the Barossa.”
Every year, you can have faith in Stuart and the team to deliver a seriously reliable bottle of Barossa Shiraz.
“Let Barossa Shiraz always be a safe place!” he grins.
This wine has been on our shelves for over a decade - and it’s been rated over 95% for 11 vintages.
That’s what you call a solid classic.
🏆 White Wine of the Year 2026: Small and Small Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 Winemakers: Claudia and Bill Small
Fresh, vibrant and unmistakably Marlborough, this Sauvignon Blanc is a brilliant example of what happens when great fruit meets independent winemaking and two people who know exactly what they’re doing.
And this year, Angels have crowned it Naked’s White Wine of the Year 2026.
Rated 98% by Angels, it’s a very good drop - and now officially one of Angels’ favourites.
Bill Small was delighted when we delivered the news.
“That’s brilliant!” says Bill. “That’s really cool!” adds Claudia. “I’m genuinely touched.”
It’s a wine the talented pair have made for 14 vintages, and it’s been rated at least 94% every single year.
That kind of consistency matters to Claudia and Bill. Their long-standing relationships with their growers mean they know the vineyards, the people and what it takes to make the quality Angels have come to expect.
“We’ve worked with our growers for so long that there’s a real respect and trust there, even when you have tough seasons. It’s nice knowing everyone knows their job and does it well,” says Claudia.
And after so many years, they’re especially pleased people keep coming back for it. “We’re so grateful for the Angels that have supported us over the years,” Bill adds.
Claudia says she’s particularly delighted to see the classics take the top honours this year - a Shiraz and their Sauvignon Blanc.
And we reckon that says something pretty lovely about wine.
Sometimes the bottles that win your heart aren’t the flashiest or newest. They’re the ones you know you can rely on, vintage after vintage.
The people have spoken
Wine of the Year is a special celebration at Naked.
It’s our annual reminder that when you choose to drink great wine, you’re doing a little good along the way, too.
Because every vote, every bottle ordered and every Angel who backs a winemaker helps keep independent winemaking strong. It supports winemakers, their growers, communities, their families and rural Australia and New Zealand.
It makes a real difference.
And it means we all get to enjoy the award-winning spoils.
So, after thousands of Angel votes, here they are:
Red Wine of the Year 2026
Four Men and a Shed Barossa Shiraz 2025 Stuart Bourne
White Wine of the Year 2026
Small and Small Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025 Claudia & Bill Small
Two exceptional wines. Two very worthy winners. And three extremely chuffed winemakers.
Congratulations, Stuey, Claudia and Bill - and a very big thank you to every Angel who voted.
