In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 best wine brands in the world. If you’re a beer lover looking for the best brews America has to offer, here are 50 of the Highest-Rated Beers in the US.
Wine was of enormous cultural significance among ancient Greeks, who discovered it as nature’s gift and turned it into a work of art. While the Greek philosophers were attempting to unearth the truth through intellectual discourse, they would often do so with a cup of wine in hand, and plenty more waiting in a nearby carafe. This ‘symposium’ – which literally translates to ‘drinking with others’ – was an intellectual gathering where the wise men of ancient Greece would collect around a table and allow the conversation and wine to flow freely. However, getting inebriated was never the end goal, as maintaining composure and self-control was (and still is) highly valued in Greek society. So in order to maintain the delicate balance between inspiration and intoxication, the wine was usually heavily diluted with water. In fact, drinking unmixed wine was considered very uncivilized – a trait particular to the ‘Barbarians’.
Global Wine Market:
Wine is one of the Most Consumed Alcohols in the World. As we mentioned in our article – 15 Best Wine Producing Regions in the World – the global wine market size was valued at $441.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach a value of $698.54 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period.
Wine is gaining huge popularity among millennials and youngsters, owing to its refreshing appeal and low ABV offerings. The rising demand for premium and luxury wines, increasing consumer awareness about the health benefits of wine, and the growing popularity of wine tourism are some of the key factors driving the growth of the wine market.
The United States was the world leader in the wine market in 2022 in terms of revenue, with $52.7 billion. Here are the U.S. States that Drink the Most Wine.
Trends of Global Wine Consumption:
The global wine consumption in 2023 was estimated to be 221 million hectoliters, marking a decrease of 2.6% compared to the previous year. Since 2018, wine consumption around the world has decreased at a regular rate and 2023 marked the lowest volume recorded since 1996. This negative trend can be mainly attributed to the decline in China’s consumption, which has lost an average of 2 million hectoliters per year since 2018. It was further accentuated in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic, which negatively affected many large wine markets.
In 2022, the war in Ukraine and the associated energy crisis, together with the global supply chain disruptions, led to a spike in costs in production and distribution. This has resulted in significant increases in wine prices for consumers.
Recent Acquisition in the Wine Industry:
It was reported in May that Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ), one of the Largest Publicly Traded Liquor Companies in the US, announced the purchase of California winery, Sea Smoke, to ‘further enhance the company’s higher-end wine focus and portfolio growth strategy with one of the preeminent Pinot Noir producers in the world’.
Sea Smoke joins Constellation’s Fine Wine & Craft Spirits portfolio, which includes Schrader Cellars, Robert Mondavi, The Prisoner Wine Company, and Lingua Franca, among several others. Sam Glaetzer, Constellation Brands’ EVP & President, Wine & Spirits division, announced:
“As we continue to pursue growth aligned with consumer-led premiumization trends through our higher-end brands of the Wine and Spirits business, we are excited to add Sea Smoke to our fine wine portfolio. Not only does Sea Smoke offer a uniquely acclaimed estate vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills AVA, its highly acclaimed wines also align with our target consumer preferences as they continue to shift to the higher end. We look forward to working with the Sea Smoke team to grow this exceptional winery while upholding its impeccable tradition of quality and customer experience.”
Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) continues to be the Best Alcohol Stock to Buy Now, with 47 hedge fund holders in Q1 2024 boasting an overall stake value of over $2.74 billion. The New York-based company is involved in the production, import, marketing, and sale of beer, wine, and spirits across the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. The company made headlines last summer when its Mexican beer brand, Modelo Especial, became the Top-Selling Beer in America after dethroning Bud Light. As a result, STZ reported a revenue of over $2.12 billion during its last quarter of fiscal year 2024, a significant increase of 22.7% compared to the previous year. Net income also went up by 11.7% to reach $105 million.
The U.S. beer industry saw a tough start to the year, given the poor weather conditions in the states. However, STZ’s beer segment, which brought in 82% of its sales in FY 2024, still reported growth of 10.9% during the last quarter. The volume demand continues to grow and the company management stating that Q1 2025 is ‘setting us off on a really solid year’ suggests that they are seeing no major signs of slowdown. And while STZ’s Wine & Spirits segment witnessed a 5.6% decline in Q4, its smaller size minimizes the downside risk. For fiscal year 2024, Constellation Brands generated $2.8 billion in operating cash flow and was able to reduce its net leverage ratio by nearly half a point while returning over $900 million back to its shareholders through quarterly dividends and share repurchases. And although its forward dividend yield doesn’t seem high at 1.51%, the company has both paid and grown its dividends for the last eight years.
Another factor helping Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) is that America’s Hispanic population is growing almost twice as fast as its general population, so brands like Modelo and Corona are expected to stay in high demand.
With that said, here are the Best Wine Brands in 2024.
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Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to sources such as VinePair, Tasting Table, Wine International Association, and Reddit etc., looking for the Top Wine Brands in the World. To make sure we give you only the best, we picked brands that appeared multiple times in the aforementioned sources, assigned them a score of 1 each time they were recommended on these websites, and then summed up the scores and ranked our list accordingly. When two or more wine brands had the same score, we ranked them by the number of upvotes they received on Reddit.
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20. Sine Qua Non
Insider Monkey Score: 3
One of the most famous wineries from California, Sine Qua Non is known for its sought-after Rhône style wine blends, produced in very limited quantities. Founded in 1994 by Manfred Krankl and his wife Elaine, the estate produces top-tier reds and whites, mainly from the Syrah, Viognier, Roussanne, and Grenache grape varieties.
19. Radikon
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Radikon is a family-owned 17-hectare estate in Friuli on the Slovenian border of Italy, producing some of the most unusual and unique wines we know. The winery’s philosophy is always to make natural, organic wine, and so it uses old-age techniques such as hand-harvesting, extended skin maceration, large, older barrel fermentations without temperature control, no added yeasts or enzymes, and little or no use of sulfur.
18. Schloss Johannisberg
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Established back in 817, Schloss Johannisberg is an important piece of German wine-growing history and the first dedicated Riesling winery in the world. Situated in the Rheingau wine-growing region of Germany, Schloss Johannisberg won 5th place among the World’s Best Vineyards in 2022 – the highest distinction for any German wine estate that year.
17. Henschke
Insider Monkey Score: 3
As one of Australia’s oldest family-owned wineries, Henschke has been producing wine in the Barossa’s Eden Valley since 1868. Recognized for its rich heritage, innovative spirit, and commitment to handcrafting exceptional wines, Henschke is best known for a Shiraz-based wine called ‘Hill of Grace’.
16. Cloudy Bay
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Established by Cape Mentelle founder David Hohnen, Cloudy Bay was one of the first five wineries in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. The winery was acquired by Champagne house Veuve Clicquot in 2003 and is now an LVMH brand.
The 2022 Cloudy Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was also included in our list of the Best White Wines Under $50.
15. Screaming Eagle
Insider Monkey Score: 4
An almost mythical name in the wine world, Screaming Eagle is a cult winery from California that arguably rose to fame with one vintage and one review – in 1995, wine critic Robert Parker awarded the brand’s 1992 vintage a near-perfect 99 points.
In 2008, a 6-liter Imperial bottle of the 1992 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon sold for a whopping half a million dollars, making it one of the Most Expensive Wines in the World.
14. López de Heredia
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Founded in 1877, López de Heredia makes some of Rioja’s finest and most distinctive wines from its Tondonia and Bosconia vineyards in Spain. The estate owns all 170 hectares of the vines it farms and has been working without chemical intervention for generations.
13. Masseto
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Hailing from the Bolgheri region of Tuscany, Masseto was first released in 1986 and quickly gained a reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after and extremely allocated Merlot wines. The brand made headlines last year when a 15-litre ‘nebuchadnezzar’ of Masseto 2010, one of 20 produced and which also came with a winery visit, sold for a staggering $61,800 at auction.
12. Vega Sicilia
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Founded in the 1860s and based in Ribera del Duero, Vega Sicilia offers exceptional wines with symbolic vintages like Valbuena and Unico. Known as one of the Most Famous Wine Brands in Spain, Vega Sicilia is the only winery in its region allowed to use Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties in its wines.
11. Château Cheval Blanc
Insider Monkey Score: 5
A property that needs no introduction, CCB has established its identity through the gravel and clay soils that are closely interwoven over the 45 parcels that make up the estate. The wines from the Saint-Émilion producer are some of the most sought-after in the world and take the ninth spot on the list of the 10 most-wanted wines of all time on Wine-Searcher.
10. La Rioja Alta
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Established by five families with one common goal of producing the very best wines possible, La Rioja Alta has been the ultimate benchmark for traditional Rioja for 133 years, renowned worldwide for its sensational, age-worthy, and great value offerings.
The brand’s 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was also placed in our list of the Best Red Wines Under $50.
9. Château Mouton Rothschild
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Ranked among the Top 10 Wine Brands in the World is Château Mouton Rothschild, a Premier Cru Classé known for producing a myriad of legendary vintages over the decades. The winery is known for the unique label for each of its vintages and collaborates with a different artist every year.
8. Antinori
Insider Monkey Score: 6
The Antinori family has been committed to the art of winemaking since 1385, producing some of the Best Rated Wines in the World. The Tuscan brand offers high quality and consistency and is best known for its red wine Tignanello.
7. Bodega Catena Zapata
Insider Monkey Score: 6
Founded in 1902, the family-owned Bodega Catena Zapata is one of the foremost wine estates in Mendoza, Argentina. The iconic brand is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting Malbec and placing it on the world map.
With an average price of $21 for its iconic ‘Catena’ Malbec on Wine-Searcher, BCZ is among the more Affordable Top Wine Brands on our list.
6. Familia Torres
Insider Monkey Score: 7
Familia Torres has been voted the world’s most admired wine brand by industry professionals, according to a recent ranking by Drinks International. The Catalan wine brand is also a member of PFV, an association of 12 wine families who are among the most prestigious wine producers in their regions.
5. Château Lafite Rothschild
Insider Monkey Score: 8
Owned by the Rothschild family, Château Lafite is a highly sought-after First Growth from Pauillac. The famed Bordeaux winery spans over 107 hectares and produces roughly 35,000 cases per year. Prices for Lafite are stratospheric in Asia, where it is considered a luxury purchase and a coveted gift item.
The Lafite vineyard is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, making it one of the Best Red Wine Brands in the World.