Entries open for 2019 Australia's Wine List of the Year awards

Feb 26, 2019

Have you created a sensational wine and beverage list at your venue? Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards is your chance to be recognised as one of the country's finest.

Entries are now open for the Awards and sommeliers and business owners have until March 8 to submit their lists to the judges.

With the 30-strong judging panel including highly respected local and international Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine, wine communicators and previous award winners assessing each year’s lists. This is the award to win for sommeliers at restaurants, bars, hotels and clubs, large and small.

Lists are ranked with one to three glasses. The best of the best are then in contention for the top awards. In addition to best list in the country and best in each state, entrants can also submit their lists in a diverse range of categories including venue type as well as best listings of wines by the glass, food and wine, showcases of regional wines or other speciality beverages.

Since the awards were first established in 1993 by Rob Hirst and Tucker Seabrook, the quality of Australian wine lists has grown in line with the exceptional cuisine now offered across restaurants, wine bars, hotels, clubs and pubs.

The first winner in 1994 was Peter and Beverley Doyle’s Sydney restaurant Cicada. The most recent winner of the leading wine list in Australia was Aria Brisbane, created by Ian Trinkle.

According to Hirst, the most popular award category at last year’s 2018 awards was Best Wine by the Glass.

“This was followed by Best Matching of Food and Wine – reflecting again the ever closer liaison between sommeliers and chefs," he said.

"These categories were closely followed in popularity by Best Listing of a Regions Wines and Best Listing of Australian Wines showing the desire to showcase the exciting work of local producers alongside imported wines and spirits."

For full 2018 Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards results and the Awards “Discover Best Lists” – see winelistoftheyear.com.au, the destination for 2019 Application/Entry instructions.

In 2019, thanks to the support of Venue Partners Vintec/Transtherm, Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards will again be hosted in their Sydney showrooms on July 22.

Also, the Awards are again supported by Consumer Media Partner – Australia's leading wine and drinks magazine Gourmet Traveller WINE, and by Trade Communications Partner – The Drinks Association's Drinks Trade publication. 

Gourmet Traveller WINE will feature the restaurants and bars that achieve favourable results in both the print and digital editions of the August/September edition of the Gourmet Traveller WINE.

“All venues, big and small, that achieve 1,2, or 3 glass ratings will be live on our website for the next 12 months, providing a wonderful and much-used guide to good drinking for both locals and overseas visitors alike,” said Editor Judy Sarris.

The Drinks Association will also return as the official Trade Communications Partner of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

“Our mission is to inform, strengthen and connect the Australian drinks industry and this event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of sommeliers and venues throughout Australia," said Georgia Lennon, CEO, The Drinks Association. ”We look forward to toasting the winners and sharing their stories in Drinks Trade magazine and via our digital media platforms,” 

Again, this year Wine Australia continues to promote the exceptional quality of Australian wine with its sponsorship of the ‘Best Listing of Australian Wines’ Award as well together with the Best Listing of ACT, New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, Western Australian, Tasmanian and Queensland Wines. These Awards recognise the venues that celebrate our local winemakers and highlight the wonderful diversity of Australian wine.