Top value wines from the 2026 Companion: priced from $19 to $50

As consumers, one of the things we consider first when purchasing a bottle of wine is the price. It's all well and good to find a bottle that's been awarded 100 points, but if it's out of our budget then we probably won't ever get the opportunity to try it.

As such, we use a Special Value rosette to signify wines considered to offer special value for money within the context of their rating. (If you're not sure which wines are special value, look out for a white star within a red circle that appears next to the wine region on our website ✪). Value can apply at any price point, and for consistency we apply a basic algorithm to take into account the price of a wine and the points it is awarded.

A value rosette is given, for instance, to $15 wines scoring 87 or more points, $25 wines scoring 90 points or more, $35 wines of 93 points or more, $50 wines of 95 points or more and $250 wines scoring 99 points or more. 

Here, we feature nine value wines from the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion which have received scores between 90 and 96 points – placing them in the 'highly recommended' (90–93 points) or the 'outstanding' (94–96 points) categories. Priced between $19 and $50 – these wines overdeliver on quality and value for money, and truly deserve your attention.