Critic picks

Wine Spectator's top-rated wineries in South Island

Wine Spectator scores on the 100-point scale. Its 267 ranked South Island producers run from 89 to 94 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.

267
Producers Wine Spectator rates
94
Top score
685
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 194Burn CottageCentral Otago, New Zealand20 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  2. 293Bell HillCanterbury, New Zealand6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  3. 392Maori PointCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  4. 491Mcbride SilligMarlborough, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  5. 591Domain Road VineyardCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  6. 691Duck HunterMarlborough, New Zealand7 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 791Scott BaseCentral Otago, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 891CorofinMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 990Felton RoadCentral Otago, New Zealand97 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  10. 1090GreywackeMarlborough, New Zealand60 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  11. 1190AstrolabeMarlborough, New Zealand59 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  12. 1290Dog PointMarlborough, New Zealand70 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  13. 1390Wooing TreeCentral Otago, New Zealand2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1490Rapaura SpringsMarlborough, New Zealand25 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1590AkaruaCentral Otago, New Zealand18 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1690LoveblockSouth Island, New Zealand33 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  17. 1790Two PaddocksCentral Otago, New Zealand41 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1890Chaos & HarmonyMarlborough, New Zealand2 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  19. 1990RimapereMarlborough, New Zealand4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2090Cloudy BayMarlborough, New Zealand88 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2189AmisfieldCentral Otago, New Zealand55 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  22. 2289Prophet's RockCentral Otago, New Zealand11 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  23. 2389OTU WinesMarlborough, New Zealand10 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  24. 2489Ten SistersMarlborough, New Zealand21 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  25. 2589Pyramid Valley VineyardsMarlborough, New Zealand42 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→

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 South Island wineries has Wine Spectator rated?
267 wineries in South Island, New Zealand have at least two wines scored by Wine Spectator. Only those appear here.
Which South Island winery does Wine Spectator rate highest?
Burn Cottage, at a 94-point average from Wine Spectator, followed by Bell Hill and Maori Point.
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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