Ian D’Agata Is Named Best Italian Wine Critic and Among the World’s Top Thirty Wine Writers

With over 1,400,000 votes cast from all over the world mostly by wine professionals, the annual World’s Best Wine Critics list has been announced by Tastingbook. Among the thirty best wine critics in the world, all the famous names you would expect, including Jancis Robinson, Allen Meadows, James Halliday, and James Suckling, there is also our Editor-in-Chief, Ian D’Agata.

I have known Ian for almost twenty years now and have come to greatly admire his unique vision and love for wine. It is only honest to admit that there is simply no other wine writer like him in the world, who has in his time brought major changes to how we all write about wine, and Italian grapes and wines especially.

It is therefore a real pleasure when a dear friend receives such a prestigious award. I am referring of course to the fact that Ian was elected ‘Best Italian Wine Critic 2024’ and one of the 30 Best Wine Writers in the world, with no other Italians on the list. However, the most significant fact is that the 30 finalists do not include any other expert, apart from Galloni, who writes about Italian wine, nor those of Wine Spectator, nor those of Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast or Decanter. In short, on the world scene, for Italian wine, the most authoritative and influential writers are Antonio Galloni and Ian D’Agata, and there are no other contenders. This is a remarkable achievement, worthy of applause and hearty congratulations to both!

Ian D’Agata
    Editor-in-Chief of TerroirSense Wine Review
    President of TerroirSense Academy
    Vice President of Association Internationale des Terroirs
    Chief Scientific Officer of TasteSpirit

Ian D’Agata has been writing and educating about wines for over thirty years. In the past decade, his contributions to the wine world have significantly benefited wine professionals and enthusiasts in China, elevating their knowledge and appreciation for wine tasting. With his internationally recognized expertise, Ian D’Agata has written extensively on various wine regions, and his books, such as Native Wine Grapes of Italy (2014) and Italy’s Native Wine Grape Terroirs (2019) have become definitive resources in the field. The former book won the Louis Roederer International Wine Awards Book of the Year in 2015 and was ranked as the top wine books of the year for the Los Angeles Times, the Financial Times and the New York Times, while the latter was named among the best wine books of the year by Food & Wine Magazine and the NY Times. These acclaimed works have garnered prestigious accolades and critical acclaim, cementing D’Agata’s position as a distinguished expert and writer. 

In collaboration with Michele Longo, their book The Grapes and Wines of Italy – The definitive compendium region by region (2021) received the esteemed honor of being named the “Best in the World 2022 – Wine Professional Book” at the Gourmand Awards. This comprehensive guide offers a contemporary yet approachable perspective on Italy’s grapes, wines, and key terroirs. Moreover, their most recent publication, Barolo Terroir (Grapes Crus People Places) (2022), awarded as the “Best in the World 2023 – European Wine Book,” showcases an incredible culmination of their eight years of writing and three decades of research. This enlightening exploration not only delves into Barolo’s rich history but also provides intricate insights into the present and future of this regarded “king of wines and the wine of kings.” Through his exceptional body of work, Ian D’Agata has undoubtedly played a vital role in expanding the wine community’s understanding and appreciation of the art of wine tasting. 

It is also because of his professionalism that the GTW series of geosensorial tasting courses, the Terroir Renaissance Symposium, the GREAT 100 Terroir Wineries and Wines Show of Italy and the China Wine Summit have taken root in China under his leadership and guidance. Stick to the philosophy of terroir, TasteSpirit has organized six editions of the Terroir Renaissance International Wine Symposium (with 250 of the world’s best wineries participating, including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Méo-Camuzet, Domaine Dujac, Domaine Ponsot, Château Margaux, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Guigal, Dal Forno, Biondi-Santi, Aldo Conterno, Gaja, Sassicaia, Bruno Giacosa, Luciano Sandrone, Giuseppe Cortese, Giovanni Sordo, Mauro Molino, Gravner, Radikon, Colle Massari, Col d’Orcia, Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Alvaro Palacios, Pingus, Felton Road, Kumeu River, Cantena Zapata, Ridge Vineyards, Occidental, Grgich Hills Estate etc.), five editions of the China Wine Summit and the inaugural edition of GREAT 100 Terroir Wineries and Wines Show of Italy, the latter in cooperation with Shanghai United Media Group (SUMG) which is China’s leading state-owned newspaper and publishing group.

Source: press office