Critic picks

Vinous's top-rated wineries in South Island

Vinous scores on the 100-point scale. Its 237 ranked South Island producers run from 91 to 95 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.

237
Producers Vinous rates
95
Top score
908
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 195Wild IrishmanCentral Otago, New Zealand8 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  2. 293Cox's VineyardGibbston, New Zealand2 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  3. 393Blank CanvasMarlborough, New Zealand57 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  4. 493No.1 Family EstateMarlborough, New Zealand3 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  5. 593NovumMarlborough, New Zealand12 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 693High Garden VineyardCentral Otago, New Zealand6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 793Sunset Valley VineyardNelson, New Zealand5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 892CorofinMarlborough, New Zealand17 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 992Prophet's RockCentral Otago, New Zealand57 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  10. 1092Burn CottageCentral Otago, New Zealand37 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  11. 1192Domain Road VineyardCentral Otago, New Zealand8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  12. 1292Felton RoadCentral Otago, New Zealand193 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  13. 1392GreystoneWaipara, New Zealand30 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  14. 1492Bell HillCanterbury, New Zealand26 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1591MaudeSouth Island, New Zealand28 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1691ValliCentral Otago, New Zealand72 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  17. 1791Pyramid Valley VineyardsMarlborough, New Zealand100 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  18. 1891AkituCentral Otago, New Zealand23 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  19. 1991Misha's VineyardCentral Otago, New Zealand36 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2091LamontBendigo, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2191Bellbird SpringCanterbury, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  22. 2291GreywackeMarlborough, New Zealand109 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  23. 2391Two PaddocksCentral Otago, New Zealand26 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  24. 2491Johanneshof CellarsMarlborough, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  25. 2591RipponCentral Otago, New Zealand46 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 South Island wineries has Vinous rated?
237 wineries in South Island, New Zealand have at least two wines scored by Vinous. Only those appear here.
Which South Island winery does Vinous rate highest?
Wild Irishman, at a 95-point average from Vinous, followed by Cox's Vineyard and Blank Canvas.
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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