Spain has secured another high‑profile success on the global wine stage, with a Spanish bodega named the third-best winery in the world by the International Wine & Spirit Competition. The result places Spain alongside the very top tier of international producers and underlines how Spanish wine continues to gain influence far beyond its borders.
How Spain won the world’s 3rd best winery
Each year, the competition publishes a list of the 50 leading wine producers worldwide, based on how their wines have performed over several editions of the contest.
For Spain, having a bodega ranked as the third-best winery in the world matters on several levels. It is a signal to the trade that Spanish wine is competing successfully with big names from France, Italy and the New World. It also offers a clear reference point for wine drinkers who want to navigate a crowded market by looking at trusted rankings.
The recognition comes at a time when Spain is already prominent as one of the world’s largest wine‑producing countries, aligning volume with quality.
What is the IWSC, and how does the Top 50 ranking work?
The IWSC is one of the longest‑running and most widely recognised international competitions for wine and spirits. Founded in the late 1960s, it brings together entries from all over the world to be tasted and scored by panels of experts. These judges include winemakers, critics and commercial buyers. They taste wines blind to keep brand and price out of the equation.
The ranking is based on three years of data, taking into account every entry from Gold Outstanding and Gold down to wines that receive no medal. The aim is to reward consistency across a winery’s full range and across different vintages, not just one standout label.
Why IWSC rankings matter for Spanish wine and wineries
For Spanish wine, IWSC rankings act as a bridge between the work done in the vineyard and the decisions made in export markets. Buyers for importers, restaurant groups and retailers often scan the results to see which regions and producers are performing well.
Spain’s 3rd-best winery in the world
At the centre of this story is Bodegas Fundador, the Sherry and brandy house recognised by the IWSC Top 50 Producers as the third best winery in the world.
Andalusia has long been a destination for top Spanish wines, boasting plenty of variety. Based in Jerez, in the south of Spain, Fundador operates today through its Harveys label and is regarded as the oldest winery in the region. The bodega has long been associated with traditional solera and criadera ageing. It is the only Spanish bodega to appear in this particular Top 50 list, which makes its third‑place position even more striking.
Other Spanish wineries in the world’s top tier
Fundador is not the only Spanish name making waves in international rankings. In parallel with the IWSC news, Rioja estate Marqués de Murrieta has been highlighted in separate coverage as one of the world’s leading wineries and the best in Europe in another global assessment.
Spain’s place among the top wine‑producing countries in the world
Spain is already known as one of the giants of world wine production, regularly appearing among the top three wine‑producing countries by volume alongside Italy and France. This is thanks to the vast vineyard area stretching from Galicia and Castilla y León to Catalonia, La Mancha and Andalusia.
When a Spanish bodega is recognised among the world’s best, it bolsters the reputation of leading regions and highlights how exploring the best wine regions in Spain or planning visits to top Spanish bodegas allows travellers to experience first-hand the estates and landscapes behind these global results.
Which country has the best wine in the world according to IWSC?
The latest IWSC Top 50 shows how widely excellence is spread across the wine world. The top five producers come from five different countries: D’Oliveiras from Portugal in first place, Graham Beck from South Africa in second, Bodegas Fundador from Spain in third, Estate Argyros from Greece in fourth and Weingut Leth from Austria in fifth. Just below them, the list is packed with repeat appearances from South Africa, Australia and Austria, alongside influential names from Italy and France and eye‑catching entries from Georgia, England and Japan.
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