Critic picks

Wine Enthusiast's top-rated wineries in South Island

Wine Enthusiast scores on the 100-point scale. Its 256 ranked South Island producers run from 90 to 94 points, each with at least two rated wines.

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

256
Producers Wine Enthusiast rates
94
Top score
161
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 194Devil's CreekMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  2. 292Savvy BeeMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  3. 391MaudeSouth Island, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  4. 491Te KanoCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  5. 591Domaine RewaCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 691Coal PitCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 791Black EstateCanterbury, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 891Deep DownMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 991LoveblockSouth Island, New Zealand16 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  10. 1091Clos Henri VineyardMarlborough, New Zealand25 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  11. 1191Terra SanctaCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  12. 1290RipponCentral Otago, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  13. 1390Judge RockCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1490Middle-EarthNelson, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1590Leefield StationMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1690Stanley EstatesMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  17. 1790Hans Herzog - Hans Family EstateMarlborough, New Zealand9 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1890Jules TaylorMarlborough, New Zealand16 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  19. 1990Dog PointMarlborough, New Zealand28 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2090Wild EarthCentral Otago, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2190Te Whare RaMarlborough, New Zealand6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  22. 2290Greenstone PointSouth Island, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  23. 2390OTU WinesMarlborough, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  24. 2490Pyramid Valley VineyardsMarlborough, New Zealand3 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  25. 2590GreywackeMarlborough, New Zealand18 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

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

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