Finalists revealed in Star Wine List of the Year UK with The Buyer 2025
With a brand new rosé category and finalists stretching from the Isle of Wight up to Edinburgh, Star Wine List of the Year UK with The Buyer in 2025 will be our most exciting competition yet.
The Star Wine List of the Year tour stops off in London on 3 March 2025, to celebrate the UK’s best wine lists in partnership with our friends at The Buyer. The aim, as always, is to champion people behind those wine lists by sharing a few glasses together and announcing our Gold Star winners.
Gold Stars will be awarded in 13 categories including, for the first time ever, Best Rosé Wine List – a fun new element to the competition that had our jury fizzing with glee when they came together to decide this year’s finalists. Best Spanish and Italian lists also will be celebrated for the first time in our UK awards.
"We like to highlight different regions, countries and categories throughout our awards, it is exciting to see the evolution of the wine scene in that regard," explains Krister Bengtsson, Star Wine List's publisher.
Scroll down to meet the wine bars and restaurants across the UK who’ve made it into the finals of Star Wine List of the Year 2025 with The Buyer.
All finalists will be invited to raise a toast with us – and to one another – in March and winners in the international categories will automatically be entered into our International Final, which will be held in Vienna this June.
Judges
The four wine experts from around the world judging Star Wine List of the Year UK with The Buyer 2025 are:
• 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)
Finalists
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Grand Prix
– The best list of the overall competition.
This category is presented by Bibendum
The finalists and winner will be announced at the event.
Best Long List
– For wine lists with more than 600 references.
This category is presented by Cloudy Bay
Finalists:
Clos Maggiore, London
Core by Clare Smyth, 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
Best Medium-Sized List
– Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references.
This category is presented by Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Finalists:
Brat, London
Climat, Manchester
Etch by Steven Edwards, Brighton & Hove
Ikoyi, London
Maison François, London
OMA, London
Planque, London
The Drapers Arms, London
Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Best Short List
– Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings.
Finalists:
Aulis London, London
Corkage, Bath
Hjem, Hexham
Ken's, London
Muse by Tom Aikens, London
Olivier at The Chequers, Aston Tirrold
Plates London, London
Wild Shropshire, Whitchurch
Best By the Glass List
– Recognises the best 'by the glass' list.
This category is presented by Majestic Commercial
Finalists:
Brooklands by Claude Bosi, London
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Doppo, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
Noble Rot Lamb's Conduit, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
Row on 5, London
Wild Corner, London
Best Sparkling Wine List
– Recognises the best list for sparkling wines.
This category is presented by Nyetimber
Finalists:
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Core by Clare Smyth, London
HIDE, London
Les 110 de Taillevent, London
Noble Rot Lamb's Conduit, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Noble Rot Soho, London
Row on 5, London
The Ledbury, London
Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Best Newcomer List
– Recognises a venue that has recently opened.
Finalists:
Amélie Restaurant, London
Cornus, London
Henri at Henrietta Hotel, London
Lower, London
OMA, London
Pinna Mayfair, London
Plates London, London
Row on 5, London
The Cocochine, London
Sustainable Wine List
– Recognises a wine list that has put extra emphasis on the wine program’s overall impact, including vine growing, winemaking, packaging and transport.
Finalists:
Apricity, London
Bar Crispin, London
Dovetale, London
Restaurant Pine, Newcastle upon Tyne
Spry, Edinburgh
Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Best Austrian Wine List
– Recognises the best list for wines from Austria.
This category is presented by Austrian Wine
Finalists:
Chez Bruce, London
Clos Maggiore, London
Corinthia Hotel, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
Newcomer Wines, London
The Ledbury, London
Best California Wine List
– Recognises the best list for wines from California.
This category is presented by Pahlmeyer
Finalists:
45 Park Lane, London
Claridge's Restaurant, London
Clos Maggiore, London
Core by Clare Smyth, London
Corinthia Hotel, London
Dovetale, London
HIDE, London
LOCAL CATEGORIES:
Best Rosé Wine List
This category is presented by Miraval
Finalists:
Chez Bruce, London
Higher Ground, Manchester
La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels Seven Dials, London
La Trompette, London
Mountain, London
Row on 5, London
Sager + Wilde Hackney Road, London
The Terrace Rooms & Wine, Ventnor
Best Spanish Wine List
This category is presented by Familia Torres
Finalists:
HIDE, London
La Dame de Pic London, London
Mountain, London
Noble Rot Lamb's Conduit, London
Noble Rot Mayfair, London
Row on 5, London
The Terrace Rooms & Wine, Ventnor
Best Italian Wine List
This category is presented by Ceretto
Finalists:
Bocca di Lupo, London
Chez Bruce, London
Clos Maggiore, London
Corinthia Hotel, London
Doppo, London
Franco's, London
HIDE, London
Moor Hall, Aughton
NoMad London, London
Sotto, Edinburgh
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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Bibendum
Bibendum is one of the UK’s most successful drinks businesses. As a premium wine and spirits partner, we are a countrywide specialist for the On Trade, supplying wine to 13% of the market.
Cloudy Bay
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Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné
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Nyetimber
English sparkling producer Nyetimber is the leading producer of sparkling wine in the country.
Austrian Wine
The Austrian Wine Marketing Board is based in Vienna, and is a national service body for the Austrian wine industry. The aim is to strategically support, coordinate and maintain quality and sales.
Torres
Read more about Familia Torres by clicking on the logo.
Ceretto
Read more by clicking on the logo.
