Australian wine publication, The Real Review, has announced its ranking of the top wineries of New Zealand, with Bannockburn producer Felton Road being crowned Winery of the Year New Zealand 2024.
The results follow an intensive tasting of more than 3,500 wines with some big movements up and down the list, and a number of new entrants to the top wineries.
The list is independently ranked by The Real Review tasting team, led by critics Bob Campbell MW, Huon Hooke, including Stephen Wong MW and others.
Felton Road took the top position for the first time with winemaker Blair Walter saying the team is honoured to be awarded with first place.
“We’re blessed in Bannockburn with our four vineyard sites offering such consistent and distinctly high quality wines. We’ve been farming our vineyards organically and biodynamically for over 20 years now which brings additional harmony and nuance to the wines.”
Completing the top five ranking of this year’s list are Destiny Bay (#2, Waiheke Island), Church Road (#3, Hawke’s Bay), Ata Rangi (#4, Martinborough) and Craggy Range (#5, Hawke’s Bay).
Judge Stephen Wong MW says it’s heartening to see an increasingly diverse representation in the list of winemakers.
“The stellar results from Central Otago, the outstanding dominance of organic producers and smaller regions like the Wairarapa, North Canterbury and Waiheke punching aboout their weight class alongside the juggernauts of Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay.
“It is an exciting time for New Zealand wine across almost every style and grape variety. There is much cause for optimism.”
Released annually to highlight excellence in New Zealand wine, The Real Review awards the top New Zealand wineries that consistently produce excellent wine.
The Top Wineries list represents a national benchmark that shows where New Zealander’s favourite winery is placed amongst its peers.
This year has seen producers rise up the rankings significantly, with Fromm, Dog Point, Obsidian, Cloudy Bay and Black Estate all jumping from rankings below 50 into the top 30.
The representation of the different wine regions in the list and the high proportion of the top wineries with certified organic vineyards is also notable. Within the top 60, 34 wineries in total (56.7%) have some or all of their vineyards certified organic.
Marlborough leads the pack with 48 wineries on the list of 157, with Central Otago shining at 36 wineries. Auckland surprisingly has 13 entrants, 11 of which are on Waiheke Island.
A nod to women in wine, 35 of the listed wineries have female winemakers at the helm, representing over 21% of the total wineries on the list – an ever-increasing presence that continues to grow year-on-year.
Must-try wines from the Top Wineries of New Zealand 2024 traverse Chardonnay to Syrah styles, with Gibbston Valley China Terrace Chardonnay 2018, Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir 2022, Cloudy Bay Te Wahi Pinot Noir 2021 and Te Mata Coleraine 2022 being standouts.
Kiwi wine lovers will have the chance to sample more than 80 of this year’s leading wines at the Top Wineries of New Zealand 2024 Tasting – click here for info.
The Top Wineries of New Zealand 2024 Ranking:
- Felton Road
- Destiny Bay
- Church Road
- Ata Rangi
- Craggy Range
- Obsidian
- Villa Maria
- Dry River Wines
- Fromm Winery
- Trinity Hill
- Pyramid Valley Vineyards
- Hans Herzog Estate
- Bilancia
- Pegasus Bay
- Man O’War Vineyards
- Dog Point Vineyard
- Radburnd Cellars
- Blank Canvas
- Elephant Hill Estate
- Terra Sancta
- Giesen Wine Estate
- Greystone Wines
- Esk Valley
- Te Motu
- Valli
- Cloudy Bay
- Rippon
- Squawking Magpie
- Black Estate
- Paritua
- Gibbston Valley Wines
- Prophet’s Rock
- Neudorf
- Puriri Hills
- Astrolabe Wines
- Doctors Flat
- Rockburn Wines
- Two Paddocks
- Passage Rock Wines
- Carrick
- Mt Difficulty Wines
- Forager Wine
- Clearview Estate Winery
- Nautilus Estate
- Te Whare Ra Wines
- Greywacke
- Framingham
- Misha’s Vineyard
- Bostock Wines
- Smith & Sheth
- Rapaura Springs
- Quartz Reef
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