The Voting System
The 50 Best Vineyards voting system
The 50 Best Vineyards list provides an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of more than 700 international wine industry experts and acts as a globally recognised reference point to showcase and celebrate exceptional vineyard experiences from all corners of the globe.
What constitutes 'best' is left to the judgement of these trusted and well-travelled experts. There is no pre-determined checklist of criteria, but there are strict voting rules.
How The 50 Best Vineyards voting works
The 50 Best Vineyards list and awards are part of the world of The 50 and are organised and compiled by William Reed. None of the employees of the organiser, or of any of the sponsors associated with the awards, can be part of the voting Academy.
The list is created from the votes of The 50 Best Vineyards Academy, comprising more than 700 international restaurant industry experts, with a 50/50 gender balance of which at least 25 per cent are refreshed annually.
The Academy is split into 20 separate regions around the world, with some regions spanning more than one region or territory. The decision as to how the region is divided is left to The 50, in consultation with its global Chairs, and is debated and reassessed annually. The divisions are designed to represent the global vineyard scene as fairly as possible.
Each region has its own voting panel and is headed up by an Academy Chair, who is tasked with recruiting a set number of voters for their designated region.
The panel in each region is made up of 30 per cent wine trade; 30 per cent travel and wine tourism experts; 25 per cent journalists; and 15 per cent sommeliers.
For the purposes of The 50 Best Vineyards, a 'vineyard' refers to a winery or estate that offers a visitor experience and not necessarily the land where grapes are grown. To be eligible, each vineyard must be open to the public during the voting period. Votes are cast based on the overall experience offered to visitors, including tours, tastings, hospitality, architecture, food and the surrounding environment – rather than solely on wine quality or where the grapes are grown. We use the word 'vineyard' as it is a more globally recognised term.
The 50 Best Vineyards voting rules
- Voting is strictly confidential – Academy Chairs have no knowledge of the votes cast by their panellists
- Academy members (aside from Academy Chairs) must remain anonymous
- Each Academy member votes for seven vineyards; a maximum of three vineyards can be located in the voter's home region or territory. If they choose, a voter can cast all seven votes for vineyards outside of their home region or territory
- Academy members submit their choices in order of preference
- Academy members must have visited the vineyards they nominate in the past three years
- Academy members are asked to upload a 'proof of visit'. This could include a booking confirmation, receipt or photo from the vineyard
- Academy members are not permitted to vote for vineyards they own or have a financial interest in
- Academy members cannot vote for a vineyard that is closed or will close within three months of the lists being published
- Academy members can only vote for vineyards open to the public
- Vineyards must receive votes from more than one country/region/SAR to feature on the list
- Nominations must be made for the vineyard experience, not for the wine or the individual winemaker
- Academy members cannot vote for a vineyard based on a tasting experience that does not take place at the vineyard itself; for example, when a vineyard is exhibiting at an event or a letterbox tasting
The 50 Best Vineyards voting criteria
There are no criteria a vineyard has to meet. They do not have to sell a certain product, or any of The 50's partner brands. They do not need to have been open a certain number of years and they do not need to have won any other awards or accolades.
Vineyards cannot apply to be on the list and cannot be nominated.
Every style of vineyard in the world is eligible, unless it is part of the Best of the Best group (formerly the Hall of Fame), it has permanently closed at the time the lists are announced, or we receive notice that it will be closing in the period shortly after the results are published.
This is designed to allow our panellists to vote far and wide. They could vote for a small, family-run vineyard in a remote location, or select the best-known winery in their own country or region – it is their opinion and the experiences they have had that matter.
Best of the Best
The Best of the Best group (formerly know as the Hall of Fame) is formed of the vineyards that have been named The World's Best Vineyard since the list's inception. These venues are honoured as iconic destinations in the Best of the Best hall of fame, making them ineligible to be voted for in future annual rankings.
