Santiago to Host The World’s 50 Best Vineyards for the First Time
Wine & Travel
Key Facts
- Event. The World’s 50 Best Vineyards 2026 ceremony week, hosted in Santiago beginning November 16.
- Milestone. First edition held in Chile and the first in a Latin American capital city.
- Partners. The Regional Government of Santiago, the regional tourism corporation and Grupo Liderazgo back the event.
- Voting. A voting academy of more than 700 international wine and travel experts decides the list.
- Chile on the list. VIK took the number one spot in 2025 and enters the Hall of Fame; five other Chilean estates ranked in 2025.
Santiago will host The World’s 50 Best Vineyards in November, the first time the global wine tourism ranking holds its ceremony in Chile — and the first in a Latin American capital.
Chile’s capital has been named host of The World’s 50 Best Vineyards 2026, with a week of events beginning November 16 and the countdown ceremony closing the program, organizers confirmed.
A First for Chile and the Region
The World’s 50 Best Vineyards, the annual ranking of the best winery experiences on the planet, will hold its 2026 edition in Santiago in November.
It is the first time the ceremony comes to Chile, and the first time it is staged in a Latin American capital, following previous editions in wine regions of Europe, the Americas and beyond.
The Regional Government of Santiago confirmed the host role together with the regional tourism corporation and Grupo Liderazgo, the Chilean firm partnering on the event.
How the Ranking Works
The list is decided by a voting academy of more than 700 sommeliers, wine writers, travel specialists and industry figures from around the world.
Voters nominate wineries based on the complete visitor experience — the wines, the setting, the tours, the restaurants and the hospitality — rather than scores in a glass.
Ahead of the ceremony, organizers reveal the One To Watch award and the extended 51–100 list, building toward the live countdown of the top 50.
Chile’s Momentum on the List
Chile arrives as host with the reigning number one: VIK, in Millahue in the Cachapoal Valley, topped the 2025 ranking and now graduates to the event’s Hall of Fame of past winners.
Five other Chilean estates placed in the 2025 top 50 — Montes at number 10, Almaviva at 34, Viu Manent at 40, Santa Rita at 41 and Casas del Bosque at 42.
That spread, from Colchagua to Maipo to Casablanca, is exactly the wine map organizers want visiting delegates to travel in November.
What It Means for Santiago
Governor Claudio Orrego has framed the event as a showcase for the metropolitan region, where more than 40 wineries open to tourism sit within day-trip distance of the capital.
Max Raide of Grupo Liderazgo has described the ceremony week as a chance to put Chilean wine tourism in front of the industry’s most influential buyers and media.
For the city, the event brings a week of tastings, dinners and tours across the Maipo Valley and beyond, with an international delegation filling hotels and restaurants.
Planning a Wine Trip Around the Ceremony
Santiago is the natural base: the Maipo Valley begins at the city’s southern edge, with Concha y Toro, Santa Rita and Cousiño Macul all reachable in under an hour.
Casablanca and San Antonio lie toward the coast on the road to Valparaíso, while Colchagua and Cachapoal — home to VIK and Montes — are two to three hours south.
November is late spring in Chile, with warm days, green vineyards and the Andes still snow-capped behind the vines — peak season for winery visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is The World’s 50 Best Vineyards 2026 ceremony?
The ceremony week takes place in Santiago, Chile, beginning November 16, 2026, with the countdown of the top 50 closing the program.
Has Chile won The World’s 50 Best Vineyards before?
Yes. VIK, in Millahue in the Cachapoal Valley, was named number one in 2025 and now enters the event’s Hall of Fame of past winners.
Which Chilean wineries were on the 2025 list?
Montes ranked 10th, Almaviva 34th, Viu Manent 40th, Santa Rita 41st and Casas del Bosque 42nd, alongside winner VIK.
Connected Coverage
Chile’s wine valleys are a day trip from Santiago — we track the rankings and the harvest calendar.
Sources: The World’s 50 Best; Gobierno Regional Metropolitano de Santiago; Chile Travel.
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