(Wine Searcher) - The unstoppable rise of whiskey is apparent everywhere, but now the spirit has infiltrated the loftiest position of all – the list of the world's most sought-after wines.

Our Most Searched-for Wines List is usually home to what you might call the Usual Suspects – Bordeaux's First growths, the best of Burgundy, Napa's cult Cabs and Italy's Super Tuscans. But a quick look down the list reveals a rather sobering sight for winemakers: almost one quarter of all the entries on the list are whiskeys.

The top 10 still contains the expected names like Mouton, Dom Pérignon, Margaux, Lafite, Latour, Opus One and Sassicaia (and Castlemaine XXXX Bitter, but that's another story), but beyond the rarefied levels of the top wines, whiskey's presence has increased dramatically.