Here are the wine lists fighting for Gold Stars in South Africa
On September 16 we will return to South Africa to celebrate the best wine lists and the teams behind them for the second time, in cooperation with the South African Sommeliers Association (SASA). Today, we are happy to reveal the finalists!
South Africa will be our first stop on our 2023-2024 International tour, and this is the second time we are running it in South Africa. Star Wine List of the Year will be held at the Best Sommelier of South Africa event in Stellenbosch on September 16.
The Jury is filled with sommelier champions, including two world sommelier champions:
• Marc Almert, ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2019
• Julie Dupouy-Young, Several times Best Sommelier of Ireland
• Tawanda Marume, Best Sommelier of Zimbabwe
• Raimonds Tomsons, ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023
The criteria for the jury are straightforward but not simple: Vote for the most exciting wine list representing the category.
And – here are all the finalists:
International Categories:
Grand Prix
– The best list overall
The category is presented by Winterhalter
Finalists:
The winner will be announced at the event.
Best Long List
– For wine lists with more than 600 references
The category is presented by Winterhalter
Finalists:
Aubergine, Cape Town
Ellerman House, Cape Town
Noop, Paarl
Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa, Johannesburg
Best Medium-Sized Wine List
– Recognizes the best wine list with 200-600 references.
The category is presented by Amorim Cork
Finalists:
Capito, Pretoria
Culture Wine Bar, Cape Town
FYN Restaurant, Cape Town
Ivory Manor Boutique Hotel, Pretoria
La Colombe, Constantia
Marble Restaurant, Johannesburg
Signature Restaurant Sandton, Johannesburg
Signature Restaurant Umhlanga, Durban
Best Short List
– Recognizes the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings.
Finalists:
Café Charles, Cape Town
ëlgr restaurant, Cape Town
Grub & Vine, Cape Town
Judd’s Local, Cape Town
PRIVA Lounge, Pretoria
Salsify at the Roundhouse, Cape Town
The Chefs' Table Restaurant, Durban
Best Sparkling Wine List
– Recognizes the best list with sparkling wines.
The category is presented by Nyetimber
Finalists:
Aubergine, Cape Town
Belthazar, Cape Town
Culture Wine Bar, Cape Town
Grub & Vine, Cape Town
Marble Restaurant, Johannesburg
Best By the Glass List
– Recognizes the best by the glass list.
Finalists:
Belthazar, Cape Town
Culture Wine Bar, Cape Town
ëlgr restaurant, Cape Town
Grub & Vine, Cape Town
Marble Restaurant, Johannesburg
Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa, Johannesburg
The Wine Glass, Stellenbosch
Best Newcomer List
Finalists:
Dusk, Stellenbosch
Kashew, Johannesburg
Signature Restaurant Umhlanga, Durban
The Bailey, Cape Town
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 WWF Conservation Champions
Finalists:
ëlgr restaurant, Cape Town
Ellerman House, Cape Town
La Colombe, Constantia
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.
Do like the Pros - search 2500+ wine lists
Amorim Cork
Amorim, the world’s leading supplier of cork stoppers and cork products, was founded in Portugal in 1870. The ethos of tradition and the values of a family business remain the cornerstones of a company committed to excellence and innovation, supported by modern scientific research and a continual drive to ensuring products of supreme quality.
Nyetimber
English sparkling producer Nyetimber is the leading producer of sparkling wine in the country.
WWF Conservation Champions
Through a voluntary membership model, WWF works with the environmental leaders in SA’s wine industry, known as the Conservation Champions. These landowners commit to biodiversity-friendly and regenerative farming practices, conserve their natural areas and continually improve their water and energy efficiencies.
