CONTENTS 4 HOW WE DID ITThe voting explained Full details of this year’s World’s Most AdmiredWine brands 39 THE LISTAn at-a-glance lowdown AArgentina’s Catena Zapata has retained itstitle as The World’s Most Admired WineBrand. Since breaking into the list in Catena has consistently stood firmly on thepodium and this is the brand’s third time on top, a record only bettered by Familia Torres, which tookthird in .The biggest change this year was our decision to includesparkline wine producers – excluding champagne houses.Having inherited this project in , I didn’t think it rightthat we had recognition for still wines and champagne, yetsome of the world’s oldest and most respected fizz had noplace to be celebrated. It’s therefore great to see Codorniu and Sticking with sparkling, we also have our first ever UKproducer in Nyetimber. In when this ranking waslaunched, Nytimber had only been producing sparklingwine for years which makes this achievement even more Once again France earned the largest representationwith of the top wineries, just outmuscling Spain on as Europe makes up of our World’s Most AdmiredWine Brands. SHAY WATERWORTHEDITOR Commercial DirectorROB CULLEN()rob.cullen@drinksint.com EditorSHAY WATERWORTHshay.waterworth@drinksint.com Drinks InternationalSuiteD,NBKHouse,aVictoriaRoad,BurgessHill,RHLHT:()F:()www.drinksint.comCoverimage:iStock.com/malerapaso Senior Account ManagerCARMEN POEL FRANCESCHcarmen.poel@drinksint.com Production EditorJAQ BAYLESjaq.bayles@drinksint.com PublisherJUSTIN SMITH()justin.smith@drinksint.com Managing DirectorRUSSELL DODD()russell.dodd@drinksint.com HOW WEDID IT 1CATENA ZAPATA COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:ARGENTINAOWNER:CATENA FAMILYAA credited to Nicolás Catena Zapata,the third-generation visionarywho, from the 1980s onwards,championed the concept ofhigh-altitude viticulture in thefoothills of the Andes. By plantingvineyards at unprecedentedelevations in the Uco Valley, hedemonstrated that Argentinacould produce wines of remarkable the region. Often described asSouth America’s ‘grand cru’, thesite produces some of the winery’smost acclaimed wines, includingsingle-parcel Malbecs andChardonnays that have garnered resilience in Argentina’s vineyards,reflecting a philosophy that blendsresearch with tradition. Catena Zapata’s vineyards,particularly the celebratedAdrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary,have become reference points for Recent developments highlightCatena Zapata’s continuingevolution beyond the bottle.The opening of Angélica CocinaMaestra, the estate’s firstrestaurant, reflects a growing focuson wine tourism and gastronomy,pairing the family’s wines with a Brand in 2026.Few wineries have done moreto elevate a country’s reputationon the world stage than CatenaZapata. Founded in 1902 inMendoza by Italian immigrantNicola Catena, the family estatehas become synonymous with “THE OPENINGOF ANGÉLICACOCINAMAESTRA, THEESTATE’S FIRSTRESTAURANT, Today the winery is led byfourth-generation managingdirector Laura Catena, who hasexpanded the family’s scientificapproach to viticulture throughthe Catena Institute of Wine. More than a century after itsfounding, Catena Zapata remainsboth a custodian of heritage and adriving force behind Argentina’s The transformation ofthe winery – and indeed theinternational perception ofArgentinian wine – is largely 2ANTINORI COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:ITALYOWNER:MARCHESI ANTINORIWW transform Tuscany’s globalstanding. In the 1970s the estateintroduced Tignanello (number21), a pioneering wine thatblended Sangiovese with CabernetSauvignon and Cabernet Francwhile eschewing traditionalChianti regulations. The winebecame one of the original SuperTuscans, a category that redefined The company’s commitmentto innovation remains evidentin both vineyard and winery.Antinori was among the early barriques in Tuscany, techniquesthat helped to refine thestructure and complexity of Architecture and hospitalityhave also become central to thebrand’s contemporary identity.The Antinori nel Chianti Classicowinery, opened in 2013 afterseven years of construction, isa striking underground facility “THE GROUPHAS EXPANDEDWITH PROJECTSIN THE US ANDELSEWHERE,REFLECTING back to 1385,Antinori (up from number fourin the list last year) representsone of the longest continuouslyoperating family wine businessesin the world. For 27 generationsthe Florentine dynasty has playeda defining role in the evolution Today Antinori’s portfolioencompasses a network of estatesacross Italy, from Chianti Classicoand Bolgheri to Piedmont, Pugliaand Umbria. The group has alsoexpanded internationally withprojects in the US and elsewhere,reflecting a global outlook while Under the leadership of PieroAntinori and his daughtersAlbiera, Allegra and Alessia, theestate continues to balance heritagewith progress. This philosophyhas kept the company firmly The Antinori family’s modern