Freundschaft won Best Austrian Wine List in the first DACH event
Freundschaft in Berlin, Germany, has the Best Austrian Wine List outside Austria. When Star Wine List came to Vienna to celebrate the best wine lists of Germany, Austria and Switzerland on May 25, the restaurant won a Gold Star in the category – presented by Austrian Wine.
Freundschaft won both the Gold Star for Germany, and the overall DACH award.
"This list shows Austrian wine in its amazing diversity featuring classics, mature vintages, and the most relevant names of today," said jury member Heidi Mäkinen about the winning list.
Freundschaft (meaning friendship in German) is located in the student area of Berlin in Mitte, next to Unter den Linden and serves carefully selected wines from Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, USA and South Africa. Star Wine List's ambassador Manu Rosier says the Freundschaft is "THE wine place in Berlin".
The wine bar won the Austrian Wine List of the Year Germany also in 2023.
Park Hotel Vitznau in Vitznau, Switzerland, won the Gold Star for Switzerland.
"An excellent Austrian wine list offering nice verticalities and matured wines," said juy member Manu Rosier about the winning list.
Park Hotel Vitznau is a fine dining restaurant with two Michelin stars, overlooking Lake Lucerne.
The Silver Star winners in the Austrian category were:
Dorfhus Gupf, Rehetobel, Switzerland
Es:senz, Grassau, Germany
Grapes Weinbar, Munich, Germany
ROCAILLE Café Bistrot Wine bar, Düsseldorf, Germany
Romantik Hotel Schloss Hohenstein, Ahorn, Germany
Witwenball, Hamburg, Germany
Wunderbrunnen, Opfikon, Switzerland
Jury
The jury for the first ever combined Star Wine List of the Year competition for Germany, Austria and Switzerland consisted of:
• Heidi Mäkinen, Master of Wine
• Manu Rosier, Star Wine List ambassador in Berlin
• Véronique Rivest, top Canadian sommelier
• Reeze Choi, third Best Sommelier of the World 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 2024, 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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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.
