{"id":432520,"date":"2026-05-17T22:15:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T22:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/432520\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T22:15:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T22:15:31","slug":"canterburys-bell-hill-named-nzs-winery-of-the-year-full-top-50-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/432520\/","title":{"rendered":"Canterbury\u2019s Bell Hill Named NZ\u2019s Winery Of The Year, Full Top 50 Revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n
\n<\/a> <\/p>\n

The top 50 New Zealand wineries for 2026 have been named, with a Canterbury winery taking the top spot.<\/p>\n

Online wine critic platform The Real Review has named Bell Hill from Waipara its Winery of the Year, jumping up the list from 12th place in 2025.<\/p>\n

\n \u201cBell Hill has firmly
\n established itself at the forefront of New Zealand winemaking,\u201d Real Review judge Jane Skilton MW said. \u201cThe consistency and calibre across the range this year made them a clear standout.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

The annual top wineries list recognises excellence across the country, with judging done algorithmically \u2013 more than 4000 wines are tasted and reviewed blind over a period of two years, receiving an overall score. The winery with the highest-scored wines is ultimately named winery of the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis award is very gratifying for us. It validates our reason for being here and recognises our long-term devotion to this site,\u201d Bell Hill\u2019s owners Sherwyn Veldhuizen and Marcel Giesen said. \u201cIt\u2019s very humbling to be chosen among such great company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell Hill claimed top spot ahead of runner-up Felton Road, which was Winery of the Year for 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe work hard, leave no stone unturned and stay deeply connected to the vineyard from start to finish. We want the vineyard to express itself fully, and in turn, for the wine to reflect that care and intent,\u201d Giesen said.<\/p>\n

\"SherwynSherwyn Veldhuizen and Marcel Giesen, owners of North Canterbury winery Bell Hill. Photo \/ Sonna Studios<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a big year for the winery, gaining acclaim from experts around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing included in Eric Asimov\u2019s Most Memorable Wines of the Year selection in The New York Times was a definite highlight, along with the encouragement and support we\u2019ve received from wine writers and reviewers along the way,\u201d Veldhuizen says. \u201cThat understanding and people truly \u2018getting it\u2019 means a great deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Central Otago\u2019s Prophet\u2019s Rock and Quartz Reef were placed third and fifth, respectively, with Hawke\u2019s Bay\u2019s Bilancia coming in fourth.<\/p>\n

Quartz Reef\u2019s Rudi Bauer was named Vigneron of the Year, recognising excellence in viticulture.<\/p>\n

Best in Class awards went to Cloudy Bay\u2019s Pelorus Vintage 2013 (Sparkling Wine of the Year), Neudorf\u2019s Home Block Moutere Chardonnay 2024 (White Wine of the Year), Burn Cottage\u2019s Sabines Selection Pinot Noir 2022 (Red Wine of the Year) Chateau Garage\u2019s Lulu Ros\u00e9 2025 (Ros\u00e9 Wine of the Year), and Greywacke\u2019s Botrytis Pinot Gris 2023 (Sweet Wine of the Year). <\/p>\n

Vilaura\u2019s Jascha Oldham-Selak and Sanne Witteveen were named Rising Stars of the Year.<\/p>\n

\"StephenStephen Wong MW, from The Real Review, says it’s an exciting time for great quality wine in Aotearoa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s selection continues to evolve, spanning both long-established favourites and exciting new entrants,\u201d Real Review\u2019s Stephen Wong MW said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe release of the stellar 2024 vintage across most regions heralds an exciting time for great quality in Aotearoa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enthusiasts can sample 80 of this year\u2019s award-winning wines and meet the winemakers at the Taste the Top Wineries event at Morningside\u2019s Glasshouse on August 15.<\/p>\n

<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n

The Real Review\u2019s Top 50 Wineries of New Zealand 2025<\/p>\n

Bell Hill \u2013 Waikari, North CanterburyFelton Road \u2013 Bannockburn, Central OtagoProphet\u2019s Rock \u2013 Bendigo, Central OtagoBilancia \u2013 Hawke\u2019s BayQuartz Reef \u2013 Bendigo, Central OtagoDestiny Bay \u2013 Waiheke Island, AucklandTe Whare Ra Wines \u2013 Renwick, MarlboroughNeudorf \u2013 Upper Moutere, NelsonRippon \u2013 W\u0101naka, Central OtagoTe Mata Estate \u2013 Havelock North, Hawke\u2019s BayDry River Wines \u2013 Martinborough, WairarapaPyramid Valley Vineyards \u2013 Waikari, North CanterburyKusuda Wines \u2013 Martinborough, WairarapaBlack Estate \u2013 Waipara, North CanterburyFramingham \u2013 Renwick, MarlboroughKumeu River \u2013 Kumeu, AucklandA Thousand Gods \u2013 MarlboroughTerra Sancta \u2013 Bannockburn, Central OtagoPoppies Martinborough \u2013 Martinborough, WairarapaWild Irishman \u2013 Cromwell, Central OtagoPegasus Bay \u2013 Waipara, North CanterburyBurn Cottage \u2013 Cromwell, Central OtagoChateau Garage \u2013 MarlboroughCraggy Range \u2013 Havelock North, Hawke\u2019s BayAta Rangi \u2013 Martinborough, WairarapaTe Motu \u2013 Waiheke Island, AucklandCloudy Bay \u2013 MarlboroughSiren Wine \u2013 Hawke\u2019s BayBlank Canvas \u2013 MarlboroughElephant Hill Estate \u2013 Te Awanga, Hawke\u2019s BaySmith & Sheth \u2013 Hawke\u2019s BayTony Bish \u2013 Hawke\u2019s BayVilla Maria \u2013 AucklandRockburn Wines \u2013 Cromwell, Central OtagoMora Wines \u2013 Bannockburn, Central OtagoEasthope Winegrowers \u2013 Hawke\u2019s BaySchubert Wines \u2013 Martinborough, WairarapaHigh Garden Vineyard \u2013 Waimauku, AucklandDoctors Flat \u2013 Bannockburn, Central OtagoCorofin \u2013 MarlboroughFromm Winery \u2013 MarlboroughEscarpment \u2013 Martinborough, WairarapaClos Henri \u2013 MarlboroughGibbston Valley Wines \u2013 Gibbston, Central OtagoParitua \u2013 Hawke\u2019s BayForager Wine \u2013 MarlboroughSquawking Magpie \u2013 Gimblett Gravels, Hawke\u2019s BayMartinborough Vineyard \u2013 Martinborough, WairarapaGreywacke \u2013 MarlboroughSato Wines \u2013 Bannockburn, Central Otago<\/p>\n

More on wine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The top 50 New Zealand wineries for 2026 have been named, with a Canterbury winery taking the top…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":432521,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2246,13212,1558,2033,8126,10043,2070,305,42,31037,10136,43,3272,1118,12860,15412,4758,223,3010,40,38,41,39,70361,18991,102,379,80],"class_list":["post-432520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-2246","tag-13212","tag-been","tag-bell","tag-canterbury","tag-canterburys","tag-full","tag-have","tag-headlines","tag-hill","tag-named","tag-news","tag-nzs","tag-of","tag-revealed","tag-spot","tag-taking","tag-the","tag-top","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-wineries","tag-winery","tag-with","tag-year","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=432520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/432521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=432520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=432520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=432520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}