William Chris Vineyards recognized as top 100 vineyard in the world for a second time
AUSTIN, TEXAS (July 19, 2023) – The World’s Best Vineyards organization has revealed the top wine destinations for 2023 at an event held online and in Rioja, Spain, the country’s finest wine region. The annual list, which highlights the world’s best and most diverse vineyards, included William Chris Vineyards as the 60th-best vineyard in the world, once again representing as the only vineyard from Texas.
This year’s voting academy consisted of over 500 leading wine experts, sommeliers and travel experts to select the best wineries in the world. The 2023 list also includes new entrants from Canada, Hungary, Japan, Slovenia and China. Of the 100 vineyards honored, there were only six from the U.S., including William Chris Vineyards.
William Chris Vineyards was founded in the Texas Hill Country in 2008 by Chris Brundrett and Bill Blackmon in the historic town of Hye, Texas. Since then, William Chris has expanded its estate vineyard production and has built relationships with the best grape farmers in the state to source the highest-quality Texas fruit. The winemakers at William Chris utilize a low-intervention approach, allowing the characteristics of the terroir of the region to shine through in the final product. William Chris Vineyards aims to showcase the potential of Texas-grown wine and deliver a world-class educational experience in order to build fans of and advocates for the state’s growing wine industry.
“We are thrilled and humbled to be included for the second year in a row on this distinguished list. It really feels like Texas is starting to have its moment—people are seeing what we’re doing down here and are impressed with the quality of not only the wine, but the experiences we’re offering as well” said Chris Brundrett, cofounder and CEO of William Chris Wine Company. “Winning this award is truly a testament to how hard our team and the Texas wine industry at large have worked to prove that we are a wine destination not only for Texans, but for the entire world.”
The World’s Best Vineyards annual list highlights the top vineyards to visit globally and aims to promote wine tourism around the world. Each year the list showcases unique vineyards with unrivaled visitor experiences, from modern architectural wonders, UNESCO-protected ancient cellars and Michelin-starred restaurants to family-run wineries with intimate tours. The voting academy consists of over 500 leading wine experts, sommeliers and travel experts who submit their nominations based on various criteria such as quality of the overall experience, ambiance, cuisine, activities, views, staff and value. The submissions are then voted on, and the results are collated and converted into the World’s Best Vineyards list.
For more information about William Chris Vineyards, please visit williamchriswines.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram @WilliamChrisVineyards. To learn more about the World’s Best Vineyards list please visit https://www.worldsbestvineyards.com/.
ABOUT WILLIAM CHRIS
William Chris Vineyards was founded in the Texas Hill Country in 2008 by Chris Brundrett and Bill Blackmon. Deciding on a pioneer farm settlement in the historic town of Hye, Texas, they began the project to restore the 1905 Deike farmhouse, which became the original William Chris Tasting Room. Over the last decade, William Chris has expanded its estate vineyards and partnered with family-owned farms across the state to grow and source only the highest quality fruit in Texas. In October 2020, Brundrett, teamed up with fellow winegrower and Lost Draw Wines owner Andrew Sides to merge their companies and create William Chris Wine Company (WCWC), which is the parent company of the William Chris Vineyards (est. 2008), Lost Draw (est. 2012), Skeleton Key (est. 2015) and Grower Project (est. 2015) brands, and is the leading producer of 100 percent Texas-grown wines in the Lone Star State. William Chris prides itself on expressing the genuine taste of Texas terroir through its wines while delivering a one-of-a-kind, world-class tasting experience. It utilizes a hands-off winemaking approach, allowing the characteristics of the fruit, the vineyard or AVA, and the vintage to shine in the finished product. William Chris Vineyards is pleased to share a piece of their world and cannot wait to share it with you. For more information, please visit williamchriswines.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram @WilliamChrisVineyards.
