Critic picks

Wine Advocate's top-rated wineries in South Island

Wine Advocate scores on the 100-point scale. Its 245 ranked South Island producers run from 91 to 94 points, each with at least two rated wines.

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

245
Producers Wine Advocate rates
94
Top score
856
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 194Wild IrishmanCentral Otago, New Zealand9 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  2. 293Burn CottageCentral Otago, New Zealand31 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  3. 393Grasshopper RockCentral Otago, New Zealand6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  4. 493Prophet's RockCentral Otago, New Zealand46 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  5. 593Settlement WinesMarlborough, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 692RipponCentral Otago, New Zealand54 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 792ValliCentral Otago, New Zealand62 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 892MaudeSouth Island, New Zealand42 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 992Pyramid Valley VineyardsMarlborough, New Zealand63 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  10. 1092Felton RoadCentral Otago, New Zealand143 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  11. 1192Fault LineMarlborough, New Zealand8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  12. 1292SpokeCentral Otago, New Zealand5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  13. 1391FoliumMarlborough, New Zealand6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1491Quartz ReefCentral Otago, New Zealand45 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1591AuburnCentral Otago, New Zealand6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1691The Hermit RamWaipara, New Zealand3 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  17. 1791The BonelineWaipara, New Zealand8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1891EarthsongMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  19. 1991Pegasus BayWaipara, New Zealand96 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2091Chard FarmCentral Otago, New Zealand34 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2191Gibbston ValleySouth Island, New Zealand90 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  22. 2291Matt ConnellCentral Otago, New Zealand5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  23. 2391Bell HillCanterbury, New Zealand14 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  24. 2491GreywackeMarlborough, New Zealand55 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  25. 2591Blank CanvasMarlborough, New Zealand20 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→

How we choose

Wine Advocate rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Wine Advocate 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 Wine Advocate rated?
245 wineries in South Island, New Zealand have at least two wines scored by Wine Advocate. Only those appear here.
Which South Island winery does Wine Advocate rate highest?
Wild Irishman, at a 94-point average from Wine Advocate, followed by Burn Cottage and Grasshopper Rock.
How is this list ranked?
By Wine Advocate's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Wine Advocate-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Wine Advocate's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

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