The 50 Best Vineyards in the World, Ranked

Rachel Cormack
·4 min read

Apparently, the best place for sipping vino is in the hills of South America.

The World’s 50 Best Vineyards were announced at a ceremony in Rioja, Spain on Wednesday evening, and Argentina’s Catena Zapata was crowned No. 1. The fifth edition of the annual list was once again compiled by William Reed. (The Britsh outfit also publishes the 50 Best Bars and Restaurants.) The judges assessed the quality of the wine on offer at each estate and the all-around visitor experience.

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South America dominated this year’s list, with six vineyards in the top 10. The century-old victor helped reinvent Malbec and introduce it to a wider global audience. (The 2019 Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae was named one of the Best Wines of the Year by Robb Report to give you an idea of the caliber.) Catena Zapata is also a playground for oenophiles: you can dine at the new restaurant, tour the breathtaking Adrianna vineyard in the hills of the Andes, or even play master blender for a day. Argentina’s Bodegas Salentein and El Enemigo Wines landed in ninth and 10th, respectively. Chilean vineyards VIK and Montes scored third and seventh, while Uruguay’s Bodega Garzón placed sixth.

LUJAN DE CUYO, ARGENTINA - MARCH 28: The Andes mountains are partly obscured by low clouds where they tower behind the vineyards of Bodega Catena Zapata winery on March 28, 2019 in the Luján de Cuyo district of Mendoza province, Argentina. Founded in 1902, Catena Zapata is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting the Malbec varietal and in discovering extreme high altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza. Mendoza Province is Argentina's most important wine region, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the country's entire wine production. With increasing numbers of foreign tourists being drawn to the iconic wine-producing area and its award-winning wineries attracted by a cheaper devalued Peso and acclaimed wines at bargain prices, Mendoza's economy is doing better than the national average in the wake of Argentina's latest economic meltdown. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images)
The Andes mountains tower behind the vineyards of Catena Zapata.

Europe was well-represented in the top 10, too, with Spain’s Bodegas de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal in second, France’s Château Smith Haut Lafitte in fifth, and Germany’s Domäne Schloss Johannisberg in eighth. There were 23 vineyards from Europe in this year’s list, in fact. France alone had nine in the top 50, including venerable Champagne houses Ruinart, Bollinger, Billecart-Salmon, and Veuve Clicquot.

The U.S. had just two vineyards in the top 50. Sonoma’s Jordan Winery nabbed the 20th position, while Oregon’s Brooks Wine followed closely behind in the 28th. The latter location is one of several new entries on this year’s list.

Catena Zapata 2019 Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae.
Catena Zapata 2019 Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae.

“The World’s Best Vineyards continues to highlight wine tourism destinations around the globe and with an impressive list of new entries this year, it’s more important than ever,” Andrew Reed, managing director of wine and exhibitions at William Reed, said in a statement.

As for how the list came to fruition, chairmen representing 22 geographical regions each selected a panel of about 36 unnamed wine and travel experts. More than 500 judges then nominated up to seven destination vineyards they had personally visited in the past two years. The votes were then counted and collated to determine a winner. Apparently, the panel had a penchant for South America’s grapes.

Check out the top 50 below and the rest of the list (51 to 100) here.

1. Catena Zapata, Argentina
2. Bodegas de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal, Spain
3. Vik, Chile     
4. Creation Wines, South Africa
5. Château Smith Haut Lafitte, France     
6. Bodega Garzón, Uruguay     
7. Montes, Chile     
8. Domäne Schloss Johannisberg, Germany     
9. Bodegas Salentein, Argentina     
10. El Enemigo Wines, Argentina     
11. Rippon, New Zealand; Australasia 
12. Weingut Dr. Loosen, Germany     
13. Finca Victoria – Durigutti Family Winemakers, Argentina *Highest new entry*
14. Domäne Wachau, Austria     
15. Quinta do Crasto, Portugal     
16. Quinta do Noval, Portugal     
17. d’Arenberg, Australia     
18. Château d’Yquem, France     
19. Château Pape Clément, France     
20. Jordan Vineyard & Winery, US
21. González Byass – Bodegas Tio Pepe, Spain     
22. Maison Ruinart, France     
23. Champagne Bollinger, France *New entry* 
24. Bodega Colomé, Argentina     
25. Viñedos de Alcohuaz, Chile *New entry* 
26. Henschke, Australia     
27. Abadía Retuerta, Spain     
28. Brooks Wine, US *New entry*
29.  Ceretto, Italy     
30. Bodega Bouza, Uruguay *New entry* 
31. Champagne Billecart-Salmon, France     
32. Klein Constantia Winery, South Africa     
33. Château Pichon Baron, France     
34. Château de Beaucastel, France *New entry*
35. Szepsy Winery, Hungary *New entry* 
36. Delaire Graff Estate, South Africa     
37. Viña Casas del Bosque, Chile     
38. Château Mercian Mariko Winery, Japan
39. Clos Apalta, Chile
40. Graham’s Port Lodge, Portugal
41.  Château Kefraya, Lebanon *New entry* 
42. Quinta do Seixo (Sandeman), Portugal     
43. Viu Manent, Chile     
44. Penfolds Magill Estate, Australia     
45. Disznókő, Hungary *New entry* 
46. Veuve Clicquot, France *New entry* 
47. Château Mukhrani, Georgia *New entry* 
48. Bodega Diamandes, Argentina *New entry*
49. Bodegas Muga, Spain *New entry*
50. Viña Errázuriz, Chile *New entry*

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