Rippon Vineyard was named on the World’s Best Vineyards list for 2023, which recognises and celebrates winery experiences around the globe.
Placed number 11 on the list and also cited as the top winery in Australasia, the judges noted that “Breathtaking though it may be, every aspect – from the ground up –contributes to making the vineyard and its wines unique.”
General Manager of the Wānaka-based Vineyard Nick Mills told REX host Dominic George it is a great privilege to receive this accolade.
"It's just a great acknowledgement of what we've been doing here as a crew for some time," he said.
Wineries do not submit themselves for consideration, rather the nominations are received from an international panel of wine, tourism and travel experts which makes the award even sweeter for Mills and the Rippon team.
"It is a ground-up sort of process and we've clearly figured out how to communicate that and make that an experience for people visiting us worthwhile and of note, that's what we're happiest about, that it acknowledges the whole process."
Rippon has their own cow heard that produces 50 cubic meters of compost every year and grows a soil and vine which is taken through an agricultural process, part of which of course is into wine and while their biodynamic farming is a more private, personal project, Mills said it's nice for something like that to be recognised.
"That's quite an intimate thing, it's a way for our family and team to connect to the land.
"What this award is all about is how we connect with our consumers and our visitors, evenings of merriment and all of the other stuff it says, that's kind of the cultural by-product of the whole system."
Other attractions such as a pop-up restaurant, a cellar door that is open by appointment and tastings of their homegrown wine are other factors Mills believes contribute to the overall experience of Rippon Vineyards.
Listen to the full chat between Rippon Vineyard General Manager Nick Mills and Dominic George above.
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