This Spanish vineyard has just been crowned best in the world

It’s no walk in the park, making great wine: in fact, it relies on everything from the ripeness of the grapes to the quality of the soil, the climate, a good fermentation process, and even how the stuff is bottled. 

Thankfully, there are marvellous vineyards all over the planet worrying about that so we don’t have to, and the most impressive of them all were just named by the World’s Best Vineyards at a ceremony at Nyetimber in West Sussex. 

So, how was the winner decided? Well the top 50 list was compiled from all the nominations by the very official sounding global academy of voters. Each region of the world was headed up by an expert who recruited 36 wine and travel professionals, and they all voted for seven vineyards each. 

Claiming the top spot was Bodegas De Los Herederos Del Marqués De Riscal, a stunning vineyard in Rioja, northern Spain. Founded in 1858, the winery is still known for producing cracking vino, but there’s also quite a dazzling luxury hotel onsite where you can overlook the vines. 

In second place, it’s VIK in Chile, and in third place it’s Creation in South Africa. However, the list was (unsurprisingly) dominated by France, which claimed five of the top 25 spots – check out the rest of the list below. 

These are the 25 best vineyards in the world

1. Bodegas De Los Herederos Del Marqués De Riscal, Spain
2. VIK, Chile
3. Creation, South Africa
4. Bodegas Ysios, Spain
5. Fürst Von Metternich-Winneburg’sche Domäne Schloss Johannisberg, Germany
6. Maison Ruinart, France
7. Château Smith Haut Lafitte, France
8. Abadía Retuerta, Spain
9. Weingut Dr. Loosen, Germany
10. Finca Victoria - Durigutti Family Winemakers, Argentina
11. Bodega Garzón, Uruguay
12. Champagne Bollinger, France
13. Château d’Yquem, France
14. Tenuta Cavalier Pepe, Italy
15. Quinta do Crasto, Portugal
16. Robert Mondavi Winery, USA
17. Montes, Chile
18. Bodegas Salentein, Argentina
19. Viu Manent, Chile
20. Ceretto, Italy
21. Château Pape Clément, France
22. Castello Banfi, Italy
23. Bodega Muga, Spain
24. Jordan Vineyard & Winery, USA
25. Tenuta Castelbuono (Tenute Lunelli), Italy

Did you see that Madeira is charging tourists an extra fee to hike its popular trails in 2025?

Plus: You’ll no longer be able to drive through these central Paris neighbourhoods. 

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