The Star Wine List of The Year UK with The Buyer was once again held at London’s Winemakers Club, the perfect venue to bring the best in hospitality together. All photography by Thomas Skovsende.
The fourth Star Wine List of the Year with The Buyer saw not only more restaurants go through to the final, but a wider selection of venues from around the UK illustrating the quality of wines now being stocked and sold in premium restaurants. The event was the opportunity for over 100 leading sommeliers and restaurant teams from all over the country to get together and enjoy time to relax, and celebrate their mutual achievements.
Sommeliers were able to enjoy a drinks reception featuring wines from all the category sponsors
It was also an opportunity for all the awards’ sponsors and supporters to also show their wines and allow the finalists sommeliers to take part in a tasting and drinks reception before the awards and then after the prizes were handed out for the after show party.
The awards were presented by Richard Siddle, editor-in-chief of The Buyer and Star Wine List founder, Krister Bengtsson
Here are the all the categories, finalists and winners.
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Grand Prix
The best list overall
The category is presented by Bibendum
Gold Star:
Mountain
The Mountain team receive their Grand Prix award from category sponsor Bibendum and its head of fine wine Valeria Rodriguez
Mountain, the recently awarded Michelin star Basque-themed restaurant in Soho, London, was the big winner on the night picking up three awards, including the top Grand Prix prize, sponsored by Bibendum, chosen from the winners of the Best Short List, Best Medium List and Best Long List.
Holly Willcocks, who helped put together the award-winning list at Mountain, said on picking up the Grand Prix prize: “It’s such a pleasure and honour. It’s been such a fun task putting the list together, and I’m just glad that other people seem to agree. For us, it’s always been about finding wines that come from beautiful places, made by kind people that treat the soil, the land, and the people respectfully. And generally on the lower intervention side, but we’ve always been looking to reach towards those cleaner styles of wines that suit a Soho location a little bit better.”
Holly Willocks had her hands full with three prizes to look after
Federico Moccia, head sommelier at 67 Pall Mall, and one of the judges of the competition, explained why Mountain came out top overall: “An outstanding work in making this wine list, encompassing quality and depth, showing classics and new producers, discovering new terroirs, and emphasising the most renowned. Well done.”
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references.
The category is presented by Matteo Lupi Wines
Gold Star:
Mountain, London
Matteo Lupi was able to hand over the Long List category award to Mountain
“This venue has thoroughly taken small producers and terroir-driven wines to its heart. Each wine is chosen carefully and the list gives stage both for established producers and future stars. It would be hard to choose what not to drink,” said the jury’s Heidi Makinen.
Silver Stars:
Authentique Epicerie & Bar, London
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxford
Core by Clare Smyth, London
La Compagnie des vins surnaturels Seven Dials, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit Street, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
The Clove Club, London
The Ledbury, London
The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury
Best Medium-Sized List
For wine lists with 200-600 references.
The category is presented by Luigi Bosca
Gold Star:
Etch by Steven Edwards, Brighton
Damian Carrington from UK importer Bancroft Wines was able to hand over the Best Medium Sized list award to Sam Weatherill from Etch by Steven Edwards, on behalf of awards sponsor Luigi Bosca in Argentina
“Smart, progressive list focusing largely on smaller, independent producers from around the world and highlighting diversity of English sparkling wines,” said jury member Piotr Pietras about the winning list.
Sam Weatherill, sommelier and restaurant manager at Etch, said: “It’s an amazing recognition to have. We’ve been developing the wine list over the last five or six years, pushing it slowly, trying to work on it every week as best as we can. And it’s nice for us to show that there are places outside the big city where you can still drink great wines and have a great meal.”
Silver Stars:
Blandford Comptoir, London
Brat, London
Climat, Manchester
Doppo, London
Ekstedt at the Yard, London
Leroy, London
Trivet, London
Where The Light Gets In, Manchester
Wild Corner, London
Best Short List
For lists with fewer than 200 listings.
Gold Star:
Hjem, Wall, Hexham
Hjem in Hexham won the Best Short List category
Jury member Julie Dupouy-Young said: “A beautifully crafted list with care put into the selection of everything from aperitif, beer, wine, coffee, etc. A list with a focus on natural wines with exciting choices in this category and fair prices.”
Martin Waugh, sommelier and restaurant manager at Hjem, said: “It’s a fantastic honour, and it means a lot to be recognised for what we do. London is the heart and soul of beverage in the UK, but it’s nice to get some representation outside of the city. So, we’re really, really fortunate and privileged that we have the opportunity.”
Silver Stars:
Bar Crispin, London
Dinings SW3, London
Ikoyi, London
Levan, London
Sollip, London
Best Austrian Wine List
For the best list with wines from Austria
The category is presented by Austrian Wine
Gold Star:
Newcomer Wines, London
Newcomer Wines won the Best Austrian wine list award for the second time sponsored by Austrian Wine
Awards judge Raja Parr said of the winning list: “A comprehensive look at the natural wine scene in Austria. Very impressive line up.”
This was the second time that Newcomer Wines has won the best Austrian wine list and general manager Harry East said:“I love Star Wine List, and I love supporting Austrian wine. I think we’re going to try and expand our menu further, branch out, try and tackle some other countries too. Obviously, Austria is always going to be at our heart and core, but it’s always nice to see what the rest of the world is doing too.”
Silver Stars:
Chez Bruce, London
Ekstedt at the Yard, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
The Ledbury, London
Best Sparkling Wine List
For the best list with sparkling wines.
The category is presented by Nyetimber
Gold Star:
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Les 110 de Taillevent won the Sparkling wine category sponsored by Nyetimber for the third time
“A balanced list between growers and maisons, offering great depth and a wide selection of different vintages,” said Federico Moccia.
This was hat-trick win for Les 110 de Taillevent in the competition and sommelier Lukasz Kuszela said: “I think we have a nice broad range, every style, every price point, both something easy and something super complex. And smaller growers mixed with bigger houses. Just after submitting the wine list, we actually added a bit more. So now it’s even broader.”
Silver Stars:
Core by Clare Smyth, London
La Compagnie des vins surnaturels Seven Dials, London
Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit Street, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
NoMad London, London
The Clove Club, London
The Grill by Tom Booton, London
The Ledbury, London
The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury
Best By the Glass List
For the best by the glass list.
Gold Star:
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Mayfair won Best by the Glass category
Piotr Pietras said Noble Rot’s “beautiful” list stood out because it “offers various artisanal wines from Europe. Great choice both style and price-wise. Two serving sizes are an added value.”
Silver Stars:
Core by Clare Smyth, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Noble Rot Lamb’s Conduit Street, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
The Clove Club, London
The Five Fields, London
The Ledbury, London
The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury
Wild Corner, London
Best California Wine List
For the best list with wines from California
The category is presented by Louis M. Martini
Gold Star:
The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury
The Vineyard at Stockcross won the Best California list sponsored by Luis M. Martini
Rajat Parr said of the list: “A deep look into California’s top wines. A remarkable collection with depth and width.”
Silver Stars:
Claridge’s Restaurant, London
Core by Clare Smyth, London
Dovetale, London
The Clove Club, London
Best Newcomer List
For a venue that has recently opened
The category is presented by DAOU
Gold Star:
Mountain, London
The Newcomer award sponsored by DAOU went to Mountain
“A superb list altogether. Clever layout and selection. A list put together with taste, skills and soul,” said judge Julie Dupouy-Young.
Silver Stars:
Bistro Freddie, London
Claridge’s Restaurant, London
Dovetale, London
Gouqi Restaurant, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Sustainable Wine List
For the Sustainable Wine List category, not only the wine list is evaluated, but also the stated actions of the venue, as described through a questionnaire in the application.
The category is presented by Premium Estates of Austria
Gold Star:
Apricity, London
Premium Estates of Austria presented the Sustainable Wine List category to Apricity
“Apricity follow best sustainable practices: they prioritise biodiversity and indigenous grape varieties, work with conscious, organic producers only and also list local, British wines. No paper is used, just a digital wine list. Proper wine wastage and carbon footprint management (ie. BiBs, refillable bottles, etc.),” said Piotr Pietras.
Silver Stars:
BOYS AND GIRLS., Cardigan
Hjem, Wall, Hexham
Moor Hall, Aughton
Seabird, London
Spry, Edinburgh
Trivet, London
Where The Light Gets In, Manchester
Wild Shropshire, Whitchurch, Shropshire
NATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best New Zealand List
For the best list with wines from New Zealand
The category is presented by New Zealand Wine
Gold Star:
The Terrace Rooms & Wine, Ventnor
Chris Stroud from New Zealand Wine presented the New Zealand wine list category award to delighted winners Tom and Ashley Fahey of Terrace Rooms & Wine
“This restaurant has a broad selection including top producers and some mature wines, showing how New Zealand can produce world class wines of different varieties. The diversity of different producers and styles is exemplary and well worth acknowledging,” said the jury’s Heidi Mдkinen.
Tom Fahey, chef and co-owner of The Terrace Rooms & Wine with his wife, Ashley, was delighted to win: “When you’re a small restaurant far from London, an acknowledgement like this means a great
Deal. It really means a lot to us. We’re not London, we don’t have a Michelin star. It’s literally us, a kitchen porter, and a waitress. And I really think New Zealand is such an unexplored category. New Zealand doesn’t have quite as many prestigious producers as other places, so it gets overlooked a little bit.”
Silver Stars:
HIDE, London
OXO Tower Restaurant, London
The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury
Jury
The judging jury for the awards is made up of award-winning leading sommeliers
What gives the Star Wine List of the Year UK with The Buyer the credibility with all the venues that enter is that they are being judged by their peers with a panel of award-winning leading sommeliers in their own right. The 2024 jury included:
• Heidi Mдkinen MW
• Piotr Pietras MS
• Julie Dupouy-Young
• Federico Moccia
• Raj Parr
- You can find out more about Star Wine list and the other awards and services it runs on its website here.
- All the winners in the international categories now go forward to the global final to be held in the summer with all the winners from the categories in all of the other Star Wine List competitions it runs around the world.
