Critic picks

Wine Spectator's top-rated wineries in North Island

Wine Spectator scores on the 100-point scale. Its 98 ranked North Island producers run from 88 to 91 points, each with at least two rated wines.

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

98
Producers Wine Spectator rates
91
Top score
506
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 191Escarpment VineyardWairarapa, New Zealand50 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  2. 290ParituaHawke's Bay, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  3. 390Hopes GroveHawke's Bay, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  4. 490Craggy RangeHawke's Bay, New Zealand122 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  5. 590Kumeu RiverKumeu, New Zealand144 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 690Smith ShethHawke's Bay, New Zealand11 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 789BilanciaHawke's Bay, New Zealand5 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  8. 889VossMartinborough, New Zealand5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 989Linden EstateNorth Island, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  10. 1089Tongue in GrooveWairarapa, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  11. 1189Bridge Pa VineyardsNorth Island, New Zealand2 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  12. 1289Brick BayAuckland, New Zealand2 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  13. 1388Elephant HillHawke's Bay, New Zealand50 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1488SchubertWairarapa, New Zealand15 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1588Clearview EstateHawke's Bay, New Zealand7 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1688Cambridge RoadNorth Island, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  17. 1788Supernatural Wine Co.Hawke's Bay, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1888Margrain VineyardWairarapa, New Zealand3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  19. 1988Murdoch James EstateMartinborough, New Zealand9 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2088TablelandsHawke's Bay, New Zealand15 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2188White CliffHawke's Bay, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  22. 2288BorthwickWairarapa, New Zealand11 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  23. 2388AlanaMartinborough, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  24. 2488Croney EstatesMartinborough, New Zealand12 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  25. 2588UrlarWairarapa, New Zealand18 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

Wine Spectator rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Wine Spectator 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 Wine Spectator rated?
98 wineries in North Island, New Zealand have at least two wines scored by Wine Spectator. Only those appear here.
Which North Island winery does Wine Spectator rate highest?
Escarpment Vineyard, at a 91-point average from Wine Spectator, followed by Paritua and Hopes Grove.
How is this list ranked?
By Wine Spectator's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Wine Spectator-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Wine Spectator's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

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