Critic picks

Vinous's top-rated wineries in North Island

Vinous scores on the 100-point scale. Its 116 ranked North Island producers run from 90 to 94 points, each with at least two rated wines.

Ranked by Vinous's mean score across every wine of theirs Vinous has rated. Highest average first; ties go to the producer with more wines rated.

116
Producers Vinous rates
94
Top score
1104
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 194Destiny Bay VineyardsWaiheke Island, New Zealand11 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  2. 293KusudaMartinborough, New Zealand20 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  3. 393Dry RiverMartinborough, New Zealand20 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  4. 493Lime HillWairarapa, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  5. 592CollaborationNorth Island, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 692BilanciaHawke's Bay, New Zealand41 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  7. 792LvcaHawke's Bay, New Zealand16 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  8. 892Tony BishHawke's Bay, New Zealand25 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  9. 992The BohemianWairarapa, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  10. 1092Smith ShethHawke's Bay, New Zealand57 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  11. 1192Puriri HillsNorth Island, New Zealand13 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  12. 1291HelioHawke's Bay, New Zealand10 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  13. 1391Clearview EstateHawke's Bay, New Zealand7 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1491Elephant HillHawke's Bay, New Zealand95 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1591Kumeu RiverKumeu, New Zealand196 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1691Church RoadHawke's Bay, New Zealand38 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  17. 1791Trinity HillHawke's Bay, New Zealand84 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1890Ata RangiWairarapa, New Zealand73 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  19. 1990Squawking MagpieNorth Island, New Zealand17 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2090Escarpment VineyardWairarapa, New Zealand77 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2190Lansdowne EstateWairarapa, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  22. 2290Te MataHawke's Bay, New Zealand75 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  23. 2390Craggy RangeHawke's Bay, New Zealand150 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  24. 2490DecibelHawke's Bay, New Zealand25 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  25. 2590SchubertWairarapa, New Zealand45 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

Vinous rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Vinous score across every wine of theirs the critic has scored. A producer needs at least two such wines to appear: the guard stops a single lucky score on one bottle from outranking an estate with dozens of rated wines. More on how the list works

Frequently asked

How many North Island wineries has Vinous rated?
116 wineries in North Island, New Zealand have at least two wines scored by Vinous. Only those appear here.
Which North Island winery does Vinous rate highest?
Destiny Bay Vineyards, at a 94-point average from Vinous, followed by Kusuda and Dry River.
How is this list ranked?
By Vinous's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Vinous-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Vinous's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

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