The “World’s best vineyards”, organized by William Reed Business Media, is an annual list of 100 wineries reputed to have the highest standards of quality in the experience connected with the enjoyment of winery visit – the tour, tasting, ambiance, wine, food, staff, view, value for money, reputation, accessibility. It is an holistic approach which goes beyond wine quality and take into consideration also other aspect more linked to wine tourism.
The list is edited by a panel of 600 voters, which partially changes every year, know as the “World’s best vineyards Academy”, led by a number of Academy Chairs, among which stands wine personalities like María Laura Ortiz, Tim Unwin and Motohiro Okoshi, the last one probably known to almost everyone operating in the Wine Business in Japan.

Japan features one winery in position 33, Château Mercian Mariko Winery, belonging to beverage group Kirin Holdings. In 2020 they had reached position 30, but it is still the only Japanese winery to be awarded. The head of the winery, Hironori Kobayashi, has declared:

“We are very grateful, we feel so thankful. This time as well, it is so inspiring to have been chosen from so many wineries. We want to help the growth of our region and we will continue to place importance on our symbiosis with the Earth, the Nature and the Future.”

The list of all the awarded wineries is available here.