The Gold Stars at Star Wine List of the Year France 2026
We hosted the third edition of Star Wine List of the Year France in Paris, in March 2026. Explore the competition’s Gold Star winners.
“France continues to be a dreamland for wine lovers,” says judge Pascaline Lepeltier. “It is really inspiring to see that the whole country is rich with passionate, soulful restaurants living and breathing wines.”
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Star Wine List of the Year
Star Wine List of the Year is an international awards tour celebrating the wonderful wine lists of the world and the dedicated sommelier teams who create them. Founded in 2018, the competition now covers numerous territories, hosting highly anticipated events from September to June each year, with each season culminating in a Global Final.
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![Interior of Le Taillevent, Paris, France.]()
Phone: +33 1 44 95 15 01
Address: 15 Rue Lamennais, Paris
Best Long List France, presented by Château Tour des Termes 2026
Le Taillevent is one of the grand restaurants of wine in Paris, if not the world. Dating back to 1946 and carrying two Michelin stars, it is undoubtedly a classic. And whereas ‘classic’ can mean a bit dull at some restaurants, we were charmed by the joyful and festive atmosphere at Le Taillevent on a recent lunch visit – guests were thoroughly enjoying themselves. The restaurant itself states that service should be “a ceremony more wonderful than intimidating” and we wholly agree. Wine-wise, where do we begin? The sommelier team is obviously first rate, exemplifying the long-standing traditi...
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![Brasserie du Théâtre, a restaurant in Bourg-en-Bresse, France.]()
Phone: 04 74 22 13 17
Address: 1 Rue Paul Pioda, Bourg-en-Bresse
Best Medium-Sized List France, presented by Joseph Phelps 2026
Located just an hour from Lyon, Brasserie du Théâtre is a true institution in Bourg-en-Bresse, and a somewhat off-the-beaten-path wine destination. It’s exactly the kind of place that captures the lively and welcoming atmosphere of classic French brasseries. With close to 400 references, the list shows impressive depth, particularly in Burgundy, through a wide range of vintages and village diversity. Magnums naturally have their place here, reflecting the generous, convivial tables the setting invites. I also really appreciated the unexpected opening towards more international and distinctive...
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![Interior of restaurant Janine, Paris, France.]()
Phone: +33 01 42 93 33 94
Address: 90 Rue des Dames, Paris
Best Short List France 2026
This bistro, situated in the very dynamic 17th arrondissement, is definitely the type of bistro we are all looking for: cosy, wine-friendly food, welcoming. The wine list is the pinnacle of precision thanks to its concise selection, with low priced bottles, organic driven, combining both top producers (such as DRC, Clos Rougeard) and newcomers.
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![Guests outside Le Wine Bar by Le Vintage in Reims, Champagne region, France.]()
Phone: +33 03 26 05 89 94
Address: 16 Place du Forum, Reims
Best Sparkling Wine List France 2026
Le Wine Bar may have a casual bistro-style menu but they attract a connoisseur crowd with their inspiring and extensive wine list featuring hard-to-find grower and maison Champagnes alike, many harking back to the 1980s, and also in large format. Wow! Located adjacent to the Place du Forum in Reims, Le Wine Bar is very much a neighbourhood bar where owners and brothers, Nicolas and Pierre–Louis Papavero, will always make you feel so welcome. The bar takes a different approach to selecting champagnes for the list, establishing a personal relationship with each producer, visiting each one and t...
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![Interior of Les 110 de Taillevent Paris, France.]()
Phone: +33 140 742 020
Address: 195 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris
Best By-the-Glass List France 2026
Les 110 de Taillevent is the younger sibling of the famous Le Taillevent restaurant, and part of the Gardinier group – a more casual place to enjoy contemporary cuisine, while indulging in great wines and pairings. As the name implies, more than 100 wines are usually available by the glass, and the menu also provides pairing suggestions that include a range of styles and price tags. The wine list is impressive and wide-ranging. It includes all the important French regions, of course, but you can also find wines from the rest of the world, including countries such as Italy, Spain and the USA...
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![Quille, a wine bar in Cannes, France.]()
Phone: +33 4 93 30 14 85
Address: 7 Rue Bivouac Napoléon, Cannes
Best Newcomer List France, presented by Champagne Tarlant 2026
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![L'Asphodèle, a restaurant in Ploemeur, France.]()
Phone: +33 6 27 87 44 85
Address: 1 Chem. des Asphodèles, Ploemeur
Sustainability Prize France 2026
Located just a few minutes from Lorient, just off the appropriately named Boulevard de l’Atlantique, sits the bunker-like concrete home of L’Asphodèle. This regenerative farming project, led by grower Grégoire Desnoulez and restaurateur Florent Piar (of Les Résistants, Paris), transformed five hectares of farmland and the abandoned buildings of a former campsite. From these ruins, they built a restaurant that works in symbiosis with a farm and its natural environment – serving as the economic pillar of an ambitious, sustainable venture. While profoundly at one with its surroundings, L’Asph...
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![Tentazioni, a restaurant in Bordeaux, France.]()
Phone: +33 05 56 52 62 12
Address: 59 Rue du Palais Gallien, Bordeaux
Best Italian Wine List France, presented by Ceretto 2026
It’s hard to stand out in a crowded market, but when you’re offering mostly Italian wines, the best way to do so is to add personality, quality and difference – and ensure pleasure. A modern list for a modern Italian, the selection reflects a focus on organic and low-intervention wines with an array of cult bottles. The Champagne selection is incredible, the Piedmont offering to die for, and the French section never lets you down with rare offerings still available at incredible reasonable prices. A special mention goes to the extremely fair pricing, which just encourages you to go deeper tha...
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![La Maison des Beaujolais, a restaurant in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, France.]()
Phone: +33 04 74 66 16 46
Address: 441 Avenue de l'Europe, Belleville-en-Beaujolais
Special Jury Prize France 2026
Situated in the heart of the region, Maison des Beaujolais is the unmissable place of the area of any wine lover. It is rare in the world to come across such an interesting wine list, dedicated solely to a wine producing region – in the region itself. This list showcases Beaujolais’ diversity, through all the crus, lieux-dits and back vintages, regardless the styles. The regional and tasty food combines perfectly with the list.
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![Géosmine, a restaurant in Paris, France.]()
Phone: +33 09788 04859
Address: 71 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, Paris
Best Rosé Wine List France, presented by Château Galoupet 2026
This Michelin starred restaurant wants to demonstrate that there can be a direct link between wine selection and food sensitivity in terms of naturality. The rich wine list showcases a large array of styles, origins and ages, but all driven by purity, low-intervention winemaking, and small growers, drawing an obvious line between glass and plate.
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Ceretto
Read more by clicking on the logo.
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Champagne Tarlant
For more info about Champagne Tarlant, please read more here.
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Château Galoupet
.Read more about Château Galoupet by clicking on the logo.
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Château Tour des Termes
Château Tour des Termes is located north of Bordeaux in one of Saint-Estèphe's great terroirs. Recently acquired by Irish green entrepreneur Dr Eddie O'Connor, the team is dedicated to the future, focusing on sustainable and detail-oriented viticulture.
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Joseph Phelps
Read more about Joseph Phelps here.
