World’s 50 Best Vineyards publishes an annual ranking of the best visiting experiences in the world of wine. What is assessed is not the quality of the wine but the quality of the visit, which implies a single eligibility condition: the vineyard must be open to the general public.
The ranking is produced by an Academy of more than 700 people: wine aficionados, sommeliers and luxury travel correspondents, each selected for their knowledge of the international wine and wine tourism scene.
To keep the representation balanced, the world is divided into geographical regions. Each region has an Academy Chair, an acknowledged expert on that territory. I hold that position for France.
The role is a concrete one: each Academy Chair is responsible for recruiting 36 wine and travel experts for their region. Those members then vote for seven vineyards, ranked in preferential order.
There is no imposed checklist of criteria. Each vote is a nomination based on the visit taken as a whole, the tour itself, the tasting, the ambiance, the wine, the food, the staff, the view, value for money, reputation, accessibility. Everything that makes a guest want to return, or to recommend it.