Core by Clare Smyth wins Best Long List in the UK 2025
The Gold Star for the Best Long List in the UK has been presented to Core by Clare Smyth, in London's Notting Hill, at Star Wine List of the Year with The Buyer 2025.
The Best Long List category, supported by Cloudy Bay, rewards wine lists including more than 600 references.
Jury member Queena Wong explained that Core's is a “list that will bring a smile to both people new to wine as well as old hands. There is a feeling of familiarity, like a wise and trusty friend by your side – a friend who takes you by the hand and guides you with ease from one region to another. This friend clearly knows a lot but shares their world with you without pretension. Even though it is a long list, it feels like it’s over far too soon (like those long summer school breaks you used to have). Filled with exploration and interest, from the old to the young, the rare to the new and exciting, and the classics to the seasonal, this was just such a pleasure to read.”
“We got ‘Best UK Wine List’ in 2023 so it’s always super exciting to be here, to see all the wine professionals,” said sommelier Kate Polianska on accepting the award. “I am super excited today and, obviously, the bottle is always a great reward!”
Core will now join fellow Best Long List winners from around the world, to compete in the Star Wine List of the Year International Final, which will be held in Vienna this June.
View all the winners in our UK competition.
Runners Up
Silver Stars for the Best Long List were awarded to:
Clos Maggiore, London
Doppo, London
HIDE, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Mountain, London
Noble Rot Lamb's Conduit, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
Row on 5, London
The Clove Club, London
Jury panel
Star Wine List of the Year UK with The Buyer 2025 was judged by four experts from the world of wine:
• Queena Wong – collector, educator and founder of the Curious Vines community
• Jan Konetzki – independent sommelier, UK Sommelier of the Year four times.
• Stephen Wong MW – sommelier, judge and consultant
• Nina Jensen – Second-Best Sommelier of the World, 2019 and 2023 (ASI)
Categories and criteria
Star Wine List judges the wine lists in several categories such as the Best Sparkling Wine List and Best By the Glass List. These categories are the same across all of the awards. In addition, local categories may be added. We have commercial partners for certain categories, such as the Best Austrian Wine List, presented by Austrian Wine. The commercial partners are, however, never involved in the selections of finalists or winners — that is completely up to our independent jury panel.
The criteria for the jury are straightforward but not simple: vote for the most exciting wine list representing the category.
The winners in the international categories will qualify for our International Final in June 2025, where they will face off with the category winners from other countries and continents.
Read about the terms and how Star Wine List judges the wine lists here.
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