Frequently Asked Questions

When did The World's Best Vineyards 2024 announcement take place?

The awards ceremony for The World's Best Vineyards 2024, took place on the 4th November 2024.

Can a winery nominate itself to be on the list?

The World's Best Vineyards 2024 list reflects the best winery and vineyard experiences, and provides an annual snapshot of, the opinions and experiences of 500 travel and wine tourism experts. Members of the World's Best Vineyards organisation do not vote and do not control the composition of the list; that is the collective role of the voting Academy. This means that wineries cannot apply to be on the list.

Is there an entry fee?

There is no entry fee or charge for being listed on the World's Best Vineyards. The list is the result of a poll of 500 travel and wine tourism experts. The panel in each region is made up of sommeliers, wine journalists, travel experts and lovers of wine who travel frequently – each of whom have 7 votes. Some regions have more than one country.

What does it mean to be included in The World's Best Vineyards ranking?

It provides recognition of the dedication, passion and skill of the teams behind those wineries. It also helps promote those establishments internationally to well-travelled, discerning oenophiles, boosting the vineyards’ profiles and business.

Who organises The World's Best Vineyards?

The results and the awards are organised and published by William Reed. None of the sponsor partners has any involvement with the compilation of the results or awards. None of our commercial partners, nor any William Reed employees, vote in the poll.

Does a vineyard have to fit certain criteria?

No, there are no pre-determined criteria, apart from being open to the general public, but there are voting rules that must be adhered to. Voters are asked to nominate the overall experiences they deem to be the best in the world and would highly recommend to a friend.

What is the ‘Hall of Fame’?

The Hall of Fame is formed of all the vineyards that have topped the annual poll of The World’s Best Vineyards, which are no longer eligible to be voted on new editions of the list.

Who are the Academy Chairs?

The Academy comprises nearly 500 leading wine aficionados, sommeliers, and luxury travel correspondents from across the globe. Each has been selected for their expert opinion of the international wine and wine tourism scene.

Our Academy Chairs are listed here.

What does ‘best’ actually mean?

There is no pre-determined checklist of criteria, except that the vineyard must be open to the general public. Each vote is a nomination for a vineyard experience that they deem to be the best in the world. The experience will take in all things connected with the visit – the tour, tasting, ambiance, wine, food, staff, view, value for money, reputation, accessibility. It’s everything that makes a vineyard visit a valuable and rewarding experience for visitors, and makes guests want to return or recommend a visit to their friends.

Do the sponsors help determine the recipient of the award?

No members of the World's Best Vineyards team nor any employee of any of the sponsors can be a voter. The sponsors have no knowledge of who is a voter, and they do not know the list in advance of the ranking being revealed to the public.