Vik in Chile named The World’s Best Vineyard 2025 as wine tourism enters a new chapter
The World’s 50 Best Vineyards 2025 were announced last night at Amelia Park Wines in Margaret River, where the rugged beauty of Western Australia—all wild coastline, ancient soils and luminous evening light—proved an apt backdrop for an awards programme increasingly shaped by place, experience and landscape. It underscored a central theme of this year’s list: vineyards are no longer simply sites of production, but destinations that express their geography as vividly as their wines.
Chile’s Vik claimed the #1 position, a decisive win for the Millahue Valley estate founded in 2006 by Alexander and Carrie Vik. Their property, a 4,450-hectare nature reserve with 327 hectares of vines planted across 12 microclimates, has long been admired for its bronzed-titanium architecture, sustainable winemaking and panoramic hotel overlooking the Andes. But its rise to the top reflects something more contemporary: the idea that wine is a lived experience.
“People want to experience differently,” said Alexander Vik. “When they come to Vik and they’re staying at Vik, you see there’s another level of understanding.” Carrie Vik added, “When they go out in the vineyard and they see what we’re doing, and they go into the winery and see that it's 100% sustainable… It’s just another level of understanding that really does make a huge difference.”
Alexander and Carrie Vik, the husband-and-wife team behind Chile’s boundary-pushing estate
Across the full ranking, the awards highlight vineyards that anchor their identity in both tradition and innovation: Schloss Johannisberg in Germany (#2), the world’s first Riesling winery and this year’s Best Vineyard in Europe for its extraordinary 1,200-year heritage and atmospheric subterranean cellar; Bodegas Ysios in Rioja (#3), where sculptural architecture meets modern Spanish winemaking; Klein Constantia in South Africa (#6), winner of Best Vineyard in Africa for its scenic estate drives and tastings of the iconic Vin de Constance; Jordan Vineyard & Winery in California (#13), named Best Vineyard in North America for its immersive tours through rolling hills, olive groves and food-pairing experiences; 98Wines in Yamanashi (#20), crowned Best Vineyard in Asia thanks to its panoramic Mount Fuji views and multisensory vineyard hikes; and Cloudy Bay in Marlborough (#26), securing Best Vineyard in Australasia for its terroir-driven vineyard tours and raw-bar lunches that showcase the region’s freshest produce.
The list is determined by The World’s 50 Best Vineyards Academy, a panel of more than 700 wine and travel experts and sommeliers who nominate the most memorable vineyard experiences they’ve visited during the voting period, with no set criteria, just the strength of the experience itself.
See also: 10 celebrities who have their own wine labels
98Wines in Yamanashi, the Best Vineyard in Asia, framed by panoramic views of Mount Fuji
Asia remains lightly represented on the list, though the awards team sees a clear shift underway. Emma Sleight, head of content, said: “The wine landscape across Asia is changing rapidly. Globally, people are becoming much more open and excited to explore vineyard destinations outside of the traditional or the classic… vineyards in China are definitely seeing that boost in tourism.” She noted that the most exciting work is coming from those leaning into their own identity: “Vineyards that are really taking the spotlight are not those who are emulating their Western counterparts… they’re trying to produce something that feels unique to them and that can only come from their terroir. I think it’s that focus inwards… that is going to really see them catapult into the spotlight in the future.”
As the evening wound down at Amelia Park, framed by Margaret River’s vast skies and Western Australia’s unmistakable sense of space, the setting itself felt like a reminder of why global wine lovers travel: to taste a place, to feel its character and, for one night, to be part of its story.
In case you missed it: 5 things to do in Margaret River that go beyond the cellar door
Bodegas Ysios in Rioja, where sculptural architecture meets contemporary Spanish winemaking
The World’s 50 Best Vineyards 2025 List
1. Vik — Millahue, Chile2. Schloss Johannisberg — Rheingau, Germany3. Bodegas Ysios — Rioja, Spain4. Bodega Garzón — Maldonado, Uruguay5. Château Smith Haut Lafitte — Bordeaux, France6. Klein Constantia Wine Estate — Western Cape, South Africa7. Creation — Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa8. Maison Ruinart — Champagne, France9. Château d'Yquem — Sauternes, France10. Montes — Colchagua Valley, Chile11. Durigutti Family Winemakers — Mendoza, Argentina12. Bodegas Salentein — Mendoza, Argentina13. Jordan Vineyard & Winery — Alexander Valley, USA14. Aperture Cellars — Sonoma, USA15. Champagne Bollinger — Champagne, France16. Weingut Dr. Loosen — Mosel, Germany17. El Enemigo — Mendoza, Argentina18. Pago de Carraovejas — Ribera del Duero, Spain19. Ceretto — Piedmont, Italy20. 98Wines — Yamanashi, Japan21. Bodegas Tio Pepe (González Byass) — Jerez, Spain22. Perelada — Catalonia, Spain23. Maysara Winery — Willamette Valley, USA24. Vivanco — Rioja, Spain25. Gramona — Alt Penedès, Spain26. Cloudy Bay Vineyards — Marlborough, New Zealand27. Château Pape Clément — Bordeaux, France28. Gusbourne — Kent, England29. Riccitelli Wine Company — Mendoza, Argentina30. Bodega Colomé — Salta, Argentina31. William Chris Vineyards — Texas Hill Country, USA32. Nyetimber — West Sussex, England33. Château Héritage — Bekaa Valley, Lebanon34. Almaviva — Maipo Valley, Chile35. Brooks Wine — Willamette Valley, USA36. Kaiken Wines — Mendoza, Argentina37. Joseph Phelps Vineyards — Napa Valley, USA38. Abadía Retuerta — Castilla y León, Spain39. Robert Mondavi Winery — Napa Valley, USA40. Viu Manent — Colchagua Valley, Chile41. Viña Santa Rita — Maipo, Chile42. Casas del Bosque — Casablanca Valley, Chile43. Château de Berne — Provence, France44. Rippon — Central Otago, New Zealand45. Mission Hill Family Estate — Okanagan Valley, Canada46. Château Mercian Mariko Winery — Nagano Prefecture, Japan47. Henschke — Eden Valley, Australia48. Marqués de Murrieta Estates & Wines — Rioja, Spain49. Viña Cobos — Mendoza, Argentina50. Champagne Taittinger — Champagne, France
NOW READ
Maido in Lima crowned World’s Best Restaurant 2025 as Asia shines with 14 entries
Bar Leone crowned World’s Best Bar 2025, a historic first for Hong Kong and Asia
Gaggan in Bangkok takes the number one spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list