World’s Best Vineyards 2024 announced

Last year’s winner, Catena Zapata was inducted into the Hall of Fame, removing it (and previous winners) from the list of eligible vineyards. 2024 sees Rioja’s Bodegas De Los Herederos Del Marqués De Riscal crowned champion, with its long history and very modern facilities which include the Frank Gehry-designed luxury winery hotel and a prestigious restaurant all overlooking the vines. In fact, Rioja, which is one of the three partner regions for the awards (Wines of Germany and Mendoza Argentina are also listed as partner organisations) gets a second entry at 4 as well, within the Top 10.

What do these awards mean and who is behind them? The competition, awards, logistics and support is provided by William Reed Ltd but the voting professionals call themselves the World’s Best Vineyard Academy and comprise about 500 travel and wine tourism experts.

They are split into 22 regions around the world, each with a regional chair who is responsible for recruiting the 36 judges who provide a ranked list of seven vineyards each. It is assumed that some regions do not have 36 members as the maths does not come to 500 otherwise. Australia’s regional chair is Richard Owens, who runs a wine software company and New Zealand’s regional chair is Peter McCombie MW, who lives in London but was born in New Zealand. The organisation claims that at least 25% of the voting members are rotated each year to maintain a fresh perspective.

The organisation states that the awards span a wide range of wine tourism options, with the only pre-determined criterion being that these vineyards/wineries have to be open to the public;

“There are modern architectural wonders, UNESCO-protected ancient cellars, Michelin-starred restaurants, and small, family-run wineries where the owners conduct the tours. Many of the wineries on the list also offer something a little different – such as a horse-drawn vintage carriage tour through the vineyard, tapas amid a collection of beautifully restored classic cars, art from the likes of Pablo Picasso, and lessons in cooking on an open fire.”

The Top 50 for 2024 are listed below, and Australia is represented by d’Arenberg at 32 and Penfolds Magill Estate at 37. Digging deeper into the list (a Top 100 is created), New Zealand finally shows up at 54 with Rippon, followed by Cloudy Bay at 68 and Craggy Range at 73. Ata Rangi (85) and Black Estate (89) complete the list of 5 representatives from New Zealand – all of which are fantastic wineries to visit.

Source: https://www.therealreview.com/2024/12/05/worlds-best-vineyards-2024-announced/