The Wine Trends Set To Shape Summer 2026

The sun is finally shining, and it’s got us all excited about lazy afternoons in pub gardens. But what will we be filling our carafes this summer? From Spanish rosés to the ever-trendy orange wines, we pull together the essential beverages for summer 2026.

Rosé From Lesser-Known Regions

Is there any greater pleasure than sitting in the sunshine with a crisp glass of rosé? While the rest of the wine market seems to be shrinking, rosé has sustained its growth, although interestingly it is not the classic Provençal wines that are clearing off the shelves, rather options from southern France, Greece and Spain. 

Contrary to popular belief, rosé can be made in every winemaking region in the world. This summer, rather than the pale rosés that we are used to, expect to see a surge in wines that are deeper in colour and fuller in body, 

TRY IT: Domaine Maby ‘Prima Donna’ 2024, Tavel, £19.50. wickhamwine.co.uk

Champagne Is Back On The Menu

For the first time since 2021, UK Champagne sales have increased, with Comité Champagne reporting a nine percent increase in UK volume sales. This follows a tricky few years for the industry, with sales down by six percent in 2024 – a result of mounting pressures like higher duty rates and increased costs for labour and grapes.

But Richard Billett, the managing director of Maisons Marques et Domaines, remains cautiously optimistic about the future, telling The Drinks Business ‘it’s definitely not doom and gloom’, adding, ‘we are forecasting some modest growth in the UK.’ Does that mean we’ll be seeing a fizz boom this summer? Find the bestselling brands here.

TRY IT: Louis Roederer ‘Collection’ Brut Champagne, £61. majestic.co.uk

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Skin-Contact Orange Wine

If you have found yourself anywhere near a venue with stainless steel surfaces and a record player blasting vinyl’s hand-selected by the bartenders, you have most likely seen a skin-contact orange wine on the wine list. But what does this even mean? 

Skin-contact orange wine is to white wine what red is to rosé. Rather than pressing the juice from the grapes straight away, the wines are left to ferment with their skins intact. This preserves colour, tannins and aromatic compounds, resulting in the orange hue that gives skin-contact wines their citrusy name. The longer the juice is in contact with the skin, the deeper the colour of the wine.

With the buzz around avoiding ultra-processed foods, natural wines will be the phrase – and refreshment – on everyone’s lips. Orange wines commonly have ripe, tropical notes, often of peach or pineapple, alongside orange blossom or honey. They are frequently slightly salty, which makes them an ideal pairing for many types of food, and make a great accompaniment to spicy foods, fermented dishes and strong cheeses. 

TRY IT: Ruth Lewandowski Wines, Tatto 2023, £33.15. parched.wine

Mid-Strength Wines

Alcohol consumption has been falling in the UK for a while now, but finding time to socialise with friends and family remains just as important. Mid-strength percentage wines fulfill both needs – lower alcohol by volume (ABV), but just as flavoursome. Low and no brand Wednesday’s Domaine recently entered the mid-strength category with a white wine called Dore and a red called Boise, both with an ABV of 6.5 percent, while premium mid-strength brand 6Percent recently landed at Ocado. All the fun, less of the headache.

TRY IT: Sauvignon Blanc White Wine, Bordeaux, France, £15.99. 6percent.wine

What Is The News For The 2025 Vintage?

As the 2025 grapes that have been fermenting over winter begin to be blended and bottled, winemakers can begin to report on the quality of 2025’s wines. In Europe, summer was hot, and began much earlier than usual. Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon at Louis Roederer told Six Atmospheres: ‘The signature of 2025 is this silkiness, the juiciness…it’s easy to taste. The acidity is there, but it’s not too edgy. The structure is there, but it’s not showy. It’s flawless…it’s like 2019, but in 2019 we had more alcohol. The good news with 2025 is that it’s like 2019, but with less alcohol.’