West Kelowna winery named one of the 50 best on the planet

West Kelowna's Mission Hill Winery is on an attention-grabbing, accolade-accumulating roll.

After earning the title of Canada's 'winery of the year' from the WineAlign National Wine Awards earlier this year for a record-breaking 6th time, Mission Hill this week was named one of the World's Best 50 Vineyards by an international academy of sommeliers, travel and wine tourism experts and wine trade specialists.

The top 50 were revealed at a ceremony in Australia's Margaret River winemaking region.

Mission Hill ranked No. 45 on the list, keeping company with such globally-renowned wineries Robert Mondavi of California at No. 39, Cloudy Bay from New Zealand at No. 26, Ruinart Champagne at No. 8 and Bordeaux, France's Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in fifth.

The top three spots, respectively, went to Vik, a 4,300-hectare estate in Chile's Millahue Valley, Riesling maker Schloss Johannisberg in Rhine, Germany and Bodegas Ysios of Rioja, Spain.

Mission Hill is the only Canadian winery to make the list.

"We are on the global stage!” exclaimed Mission Hill owner Anthony von Mandl.

"“This is a seminal moment for our family, our purpose-driven and incredibly passionate winegrowing team and the Okanagan wine region. Our vision of what this pristine and remarkable region could achieve, and all the years of relentless commitment to excellence and always raising the bar, has paid off."

Von Mandl is a visionary of Mission Hill's success and the awareness the winery and the whole Okanagan wine industry achieved.

When he purchased Mission Hill over 40 years ago he pioneered high-end winemaking in the Okanagan and adopted a build-it-and-they-will-come philosophy.

As such, Mission Hill, perched atop a colossal chunk of volcanic rock is an architectural showpiece with 85-foot bell tower, award-winning restaurant, exclusive tasting galleries and salons, chic boutique and, of course, exceptional wines.

The recognition for the wines spans from the Avery Trophy win for best Chardonnay worldwide at the 1994 International Wine & Spirits Competition in London, England to the recent 100-point perfect score for its flagship Bordeaux-style red, Oculus.

Mission Hill is the kind of property that if you only know of or visit one Okanagan winery, it's Mission Hill.

Von Mandl ownership also gives Mission Hill cachet.

He's the beverage billionaire who heads up Mark Anthony Group of Companies, which also has Okanagan wineries CedarCreek, CheckMate, Martin's Lane, Liquidity, Road 13 and Red Barn; founded bestsellers White Claw Hard Seltzer and Mike's Hard Lemonade; imports an array of international brands; and has been invested into the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

The academy chose the top 50 not just for their premium wines, but also for their architecture, love of the land, culinary programs and experiences for locals and tourists.

The best 50 list praised Mission Hill for its Romanesque architecture and "monastic air" on a prominent hill rising above the Okanagan Valley and its "Sun and spirit resulting in wine that echoes the terroir of this exceptional valley."

“This recognition underscores our team’s commitment, passion and determination to making distinctive, terroir-driven expressions that define the Okanagan Valley in a glass,” said Mission Hill's chief winemaker Taylor Whelan. “This is an enormously proud moment for every member of our team.”

See the full best 50 list here.