William Reed are the people behind The World’s 50 Best brand, a suite of lists awarding the very best in restaurants, bars and hotels; they are the pros at keeping the industry on its toes. Each year, thousands of experts across the world are involved in curating these detailed and considered lists. The World’s 50 Best Vineyards list focuses specifically on food and wine tourism – these are the vineyards of the world that give visitors the most unforgettable experiences.

As Andrew Reed, Managing Director Wine and Exhibitions at William Reed, comments: “This annual ranking recognises the unique experiences that these vineyards offer, from stunning landscapes and rich histories to extraordinary restaurants and vineyard tours. The top 50 vineyards exemplify excellence, innovation, and a commitment to quality, guiding wine enthusiasts to explore both hidden gems and renowned estates.”

You can explore some of the world’s best vineyards on many of our small group luxury journeys.

Topping The List

This year, the coveted top spot went to Bodegas de los Herederos del Marques de Riscal, which has been a force for greatness in Rioja, Spain for decades and came second in The World’s 50 Best Vineyards for the previous three years. It is where the first ever Rioja wines were bottled, with the then Marquis’ first vintage in 1862. These days it’s equally famous for the building its bodega lives in. Frank Gehry’s undulating red, gold and silver titanium ribbons are something to behold from afar, the Rioja landscapes stretching out around it, and the magic only intensifies up close.

The World’s 50 Best describes the 61-room hotel as having two contrasting wings which are “joined by a raised glass corridor which sunlight streams through, and views from the lounge terrace offer the winelands of Rioja to one side and the gastronomic promise of the Basque Country on the other”. In the restaurant, you can eat a six or nine course “Ideas Land” menu. The vineyards can be explored by foot, bike, or horse, with golf and padel on offer, too.

 

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Here are six more of our favorites from The World’s 50 Best Vineyards 2024, all in Luxury Gold destinations.

VIK – Millahue, Chile

After a long search for the perfect terroir, Alex and Carrie Vik’s first concern here in the Cachapoal Valley was creating a state-of-the-art winery that blended into the unspoiled surroundings. There is more swirling titanium here, inspired by the Andes mountains in the background, the wind, and the work of Frank Gehry and Richard Serra, and yet this sculptural marvel sits so serenely on its hill. Guests staying in one of the 22 suites can bike between the vines, relax in the spa, swim in the infinity pool, or take a cooking or yoga class.

 

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Creation – Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa

In Walker Bay, 95 kilometers from Cape Town, the sky is wide and the maritime climate is breezy. Hemel-en Aarde literally translates as “heaven and earth” and Creation’s spot within it is described by The World’s 50 Best as having a “sheer, natural beauty that will truly blow you away”. Guests at Creation are encouraged to explore the art in the grounds, and to make use of local hiking and cycling safaris. In the restaurant, there are avocado or poached egg-based breakfasts requiring a chic Chardonnay companion, plus seasonal dinners with wine pairings, and tasting events.

Our Spectacular South Africa journey begins in Cape Town, discover more: Cape Expectations: How Travel Concierge Jameel Makes South Africa Sing

Ceretto – Langhe, Italy

In the north of Italy where the air smells of hazelnuts, truffles and pine, the Langhe is heaven for food and wine lovers. In the 1960s, the Ceretto brothers, Bruno and Marcello, pioneered the modern style of Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Now, the winery is run by the third generation, cousins Lisa, Roberta, Alessandro and Federico, who look after one of the world’s best vineyards with a casual conviviality that is infectious. In the winery shops, you can buy wines, chocolates, hazelnut tortes and the like from the family’s Relanghe brand. Lots of different wine tasting options are available by appointment.

 

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You may also enjoy reading: The Luxury Gold Guide to Private Wine Tasting in Italy

Champagne Bollinger – Champagne, France

Visitors to this iconic winery are welcome, and The World’s 50 Best says, “any visitor to Champagne should seize the opportunity to wander the cellars and courtyard and drink in the atmosphere of this incredible domain”. On a tour, you’ll hear the history of La Maison, see the workshop of Champagne’s last in-house cooper, behold the two plots that have never succumbed to phylloxera, the disease which ravaged most of the region in the early 20th century, ramble the cellars and try lots of champagnes.

Champagne is just two hours from Paris, an easy extension to our new Ultimate France journey.

Gusbourne – Kent, England

The only UK vineyard on the list, Gusbourne’s welcoming tasting room was described by The World’s 50 Best as “a place for wine lovers to treat themselves and enjoy gorgeous bottles of fizz alongside freshly prepared, seasonal menus”. For visitors, there is much focus not just on estate tours and tasting flights, but on very British picnics – visitors can collect a hamper of locally sourced cheeses and charcuterie, and homemade bread, and eat among the vines.

The estate is two hours from London, making it a fine choice to add to our British Royale or Castles & Kingdoms journeys.

 

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98WINEs – Yamanashi, Japan

Winemaker Yuki Hirayama opened his dream winery aged 60, with a lifetime of knowledge gained from his work in Burgundy and Japan. Just 100 kilometers from Tokyo (where our Majestic Japan Luxury Tour begins and ends), Hirayama’s farmhouse-like wooden haven sits high in the hills, with views of Mount Fuji, best enjoyed from one of the winery’s hammocks. The name 98wines refers to good but imperfect wines which score below 100 points in competition. The winery’s ethos is that “by making new friends and finding new ways, the imperfect 98 can become a perfect 100”.

You may also enjoy reading: Fushimi Inari to Miyajima: The Most Famous Torii Gates in Japan

For further travel inspiration, take a look at our collection of small group luxury journeys.

The tiny but mighty Emerald Isle packs a punch, particularly when it comes to natural beauty. When it comes to  the most beautiful places to visit in Ireland, where to even begin? Our 12-day guided journey across Ireland answers much of that question for you, particularly if you love jaw dropping landscapes and good food; it’s aptly named Ultimate Ireland.

We begin in Belfast, make a loop through Northern Ireland, stopping at Londonderry and Giant’s Causeway, then head south along the eastern coast, clockwise towards Galway. The sheer variety on offer is breathtaking – rugged cliffs and the crashing waves of the wild Atlantic, charming towns, rich culture, buzzy cities and the greenest greens. You can extend this journey into England and Scotland on Castles & Kingdoms, a three week journey. Below, we answer some of your most frequently asked questions, and take you through our favorite places to visit in Ireland.

Read next: Why Ireland’s Best Hotel is Made For a Holiday Season Escape

Ireland FAQs

Where to go for the first time in Ireland?

You’ll fly into Dublin and you won’t want to miss that. Most shorter itineraries will hop straight across the island to Galway, making time here and there for the key sights of the south: a glimpse of the staggering Cliffs of Moher, or a spin round the Ring of Kerry, perhaps a market tour in Cork.

Is 7 days in Ireland enough?

Seven days is barely enough time to see a region, let alone a whole country, and certainly a country as rich as this one. Our Ireland journey is twelve days long, but could easily be longer. It begins in Belfast and ends in Shannon so you could opt to extend at either side.

What three cities should I visit in Ireland?

Dublin, Galway and Belfast. You’ll find more on all three of these legendary cities below, along with 12 more of our favourite places to visit in Ireland.

Read next: The Roaming Boomers on Traveling to Ireland With Luxury Gold

The 15 Best Places to Visit in Ireland

Dublin

It’s one of the most vibrant cities in the world, and yet it makes for such a relaxed start to any vacation. There are walking tours, or you can pootle between bucketlist sights like the Guinness Storehouse and Trinity College (pausing to admire the stunning Long Room in the Old Library), taking breaks here and there for Irish breakfasts, Dublin Bay prawns and world-class cocktails, depending on the time of day (or maybe not).

Galway

A journey to Galway takes you to the heart of Ireland’s rich culture, vivid history and luscious greenery. On our luxury journeys you’ll visit the gently bustling city, with its tangled lanes and pastel shopfronts, but you’ll stay out in the enchanting countryside, in the lakeside Ashford Castle, the former home of the Guinness family.

Cliffs of Moher

In County Clare, these staggeringly tall sea cliffs are an invigorating sight, and not just because of the sea spray and wind whipping your face. The scene is like a masterpiece come to life – emeralds, teals and midnight blues abound. It’s the Atlantic Ocean as you were meant to see it.

Blarney

The little unassuming village of Blarney is one of our favorite places to visit in Ireland – it’s home to the legendary castle and stone of the same name. Visitors flock here to kiss the Blarney stone in order to be granted the “gift of the gab” – the gab being, a certain eloquence, or skill at flattery or persuasion. We love showing our guests the magic of Blarney.

Giant’s Causeway

Northern Ireland’s World Heritage Site is like nothing you’ve ever seen – it’s an area formed of roughly 40,000 perfect columns of basalt, coming together in what looks like a rudimentary old Lego sea palace, with waves frothing around it, perhaps the sun setting on the horizon. It developed between 50 and 60 million years ago when lava oozed from fissures in the earth. On our journey, a wildlife ranger will show you round.

Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry is a 179km circular route around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry in South Western Ireland. From Killarney, it’s an easy scenic drive, with new, jaw-dropping views every few minutes, and various delicious villages along the way. It’s one of the most famous places to visit in Ireland, and rightly so.

Killarney

Feel completely at one with Ireland in the sprawling Killarney National Park, where the order of the day is lakes, woodlands, waterfalls and landscapes a-go-go. It’s a magical place to explore, with Ross Castle and Muckross House being choice stops.

Read next: Everything That’s Included On a Luxury Gold Journey 

Dingle Peninsula

One of the highlights of the west coast’s Wild Atlantic Way, this is an ancient landscape of early grassy hills, craggy cliffs and villages with chapels and holy wells – it never fails to delight. The sandy beaches are some of the world’s most pristine, with the possibility of seal, dolphin, whale, and sea bird sightings just off the coast.

Belfast

We begin our luxury journey in this spirited, sparkling city, so we can start as we mean to go on. It’s got it all: a thriving performing arts scene, cozy pubs, live music, museums (including the fantastic Titanic Belfast), fish suppers and the Ulster Fry (a breakfast that usually combines sausage, bacon, eggs, black pudding, white pudding, soda bread and potato farls).

Glendalough

A little spiritual well of serenity amid the lush greenery of the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough is a valley carved by grinding glaciers during the last Ice Age. It’s home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland –  the monastery founded by St Kevin in the 6th century.

Donegal

Lonely Planet calls County Donegal Ireland’s “wild child”; the landscapes look like they’re from the pages of a fantasy novel. See the Derryveagh mountain range, the Slieve League cliffs and golden eagles soaring over Lough Veagh. Donegal town is a perfect town in the thick of it, offering great craic.

Aran Islands

The three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay – Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer – make up the Aran Islands. A visit here is an immersive experience; locals speak Irish (as well as English) and there is an unusually high number of ruins and significant sacred sights, including Dun Aonghasa, a fort whose structures are thought to date from the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Cork

Ireland’s second largest city is delicious. At the English Market, you’ll find the very best of County Cork’s butter, creamy cheeses made in West Cork, and much more besides. After a dazzling market lunch, you’ll head out to see Cork City Gaol, a castle-like building which once housed 19th century prisoners and is now a museum, and beautiful Fitzgerald Park.

The Skellig Islands

These two uninhabited steep, rocky islets off the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry are now most famous as Luke Skywalker’s island sanctuary on the planet Ahch-To in the latest Star Wars trilogy. By regular humans, they’re best seen on a little looping boat tour, on which you might catch a glimpse of nesting puffins, gannets and guillemots (but no jedis).

Croagh Patrick

Nicknamed ‘the Reek’, Croagh Patrick is a holy mountain associated with St Patrick, and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo. Archaeologists found that there had been a stone chapel or oratory on the summit since the 5th century. On the last Sunday in July, thousands of pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick in honour of St Patrick, and masses are held at the top.

Read next: Ashford Castle: An Idyllic Country Escape

You will have seen pictures of these iconic structures, particularly the red ones that loom over sparkling bodies of water (the floating torii gates) – and you’ll have come to recognise them as unmistakeable symbols of Japan. But what exactly are torii gates? They are generally used to mark the entrance to a sacred space, specifically a Shinto shrine. The road leading to a Shinto shrine will always have one or more imposing torii flanking the route, making it the easiest way to determine whether the shrine belongs to Shinto or Buddhism (but not always, as you’ll see). Traditionally, torii gates are left unpainted, or covered in a blazing vermilion.

Experience it on: Majestic Japan

Torii Gates in Japan FAQs

What do torii gates symbolize?

A torii gate marks the division between the physical world and the spiritual realm.

What does walking through a torii gate mean?

When a person passes beneath a torii gate, they are transitioning from the mundane to the sacred.

Which island has a floating torii gate?

One of the most famous torii gates is on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima, which means “shrine island”). The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the torii is its most recognisable landmark. It’s not the only one that appears to float on water, though.

What is the most famous torii gate in Japan?

Of the hundreds of thousands of torii gates dotted across Japan, Itsukushima torii mentioned above is one of the country’s greatest icons, but the 10,000 torii at Fushimi Inari Shrine and the dramatic wooden torii at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo are right up there, too. The Fujiyoshida Sengen Shrine is much-celebrated (and photographed) for the way it frames Mount Fuji. If you have a Majestic Japan luxury tour on your horizon, here are 10 of the most epic torii gates to factor into your journey.

10 of the Most Beautiful Torii Gates in Japan

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Just outside the JR Inari Station (making the transition from mundane to sacred even more stark), the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto is graced with thousands of vermilion torii gates, lining various trails around the main buildings which lead straight into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari. Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and his guardians are kitsune (foxes), which is why there are protective fox statues throughout.

Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima

The resplendent, world-famous floating torii gate is Shrine Island’s main attraction, and every visitor wants a glimpse. From Hiroshima, it’s a short hop by ferry to Miyajima. You can also head out on a boat cruise to see the torii gate in all its glory – and at low tide, you can walk right up to it. After sunset, the shrine and the torii gate are illuminated for extra magic. Our Majestic Japan journey stops in Hiroshima.

Read next: 21 Most Beautiful Places in Japan You Need to Visit

Meiji Shrine, Tokyo

Surrounded by lush greenery in the heart of Tokyo, the Meiji Shrine is the deep breath you need after you’ve bustled through the nearby neighbourhoods of Shibuya and Harajuku. The three wooden torii gates on the approach to the main shrine are immense – the second is the largest of its kind in Japan, made from a 1,500-year-old Japanese cypress tree. Slot this one in at the beginning or end of your Majestic Japan journey.

Kumano Hongū Shrine, Tanabe

Deep in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula, surrounded by cedar and cypress trees, Kumano Hongū Taisha is the head temple of the 3,000 Kumano shrines across the country. It’s part of the World Heritage Site called Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. Its entrance is marked by the highest torii gate in the world.

Motonosumi Shrine, Yamaguchi

For one of the most scenic shrine locations in Japan, head to the Motonosumi Shrine, which is marked by a procession of 123 vermilion torii gates, running along the cliffs and leading down to the Sea of Japan. Uniquely, it was founded in 1955 by a local fisherman called Hitoshi Okamura, and i offers its visitors business success, bountiful fishing, and safety for fishermen.

Amanoiwato Shrine, Miyazaki Prefecture

This shrine is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu who hid in the cave here, keeping her light from the world. Some of the shrine grounds are located on the opposite side of the Iwato River, but the torii gate is in the cave itself. It’s known as a “spiritual power spot” and you can walk right through it, along a narrow path surrounded by piles of stones.

Oarai Isosaki Shrine, Ibaraki Prefecture

One of three torii gates here stands against the horizon on a coastal rock in the Pacific Ocean, with waves crashing and frothing around its base. This gate is called Kamiiso-no-Torii, and marks the place where the shrine’s deity is said to have landed. It has more than a touch of the otherworldly about it – the views out to sea are incredible, particularly at sunrise.

Arakura Sengen Shrine

In an ancient forest at the foot of Mount Fuji, the dark red torii gate here was specifically placed so that the view of Mount Fuji fits entirely inside. In cherry blossom season, it’s surrounded by the rosy pink hues of 300 cherry trees. The nearby Chureito Pagoda is a stunning five-storied pagoda, with 400 steps leading to more epic views of the mountain. See Japan’s most iconic views on a Japan luxury tour.

Read next: Stunning Gardens in Japan You Can’t Miss On Your Next Trip