Momofuku Ko is the Grand Prix winner of the 2023 Star Wine List of the Year New York.
The winners of the Star Wine List of the Year New York were announced today at a ceremony during Vinexpo America.
Momofuku Ko, the much-celebrated eatery that’s been a New York icon since it opened in 2008, has won the Grand Prix prize of the 2023 Star Wine List of the Year New York.
“The wine program at Momofuku Ko is the most comprehensive in New York,” said judge Rajat Parr. “The depth and focus is unparalleled in such a wine-focused community.”
Nikita Malhotra, Beverage Director at Momofuku Ko: "We opened in 2008 with maybe 18 wines and through the years each wine director has come on and added to that. I joined two years ago and at Momofuku Ko there is a narrative and we like to pair with the cuisine there, but it's not only about natural or classics, it's moving ourselves away from that dichotomy. For me, it has been the narratives of the winemakers and my narrative, I'm figuring out through the list!"
Presented by Catena Zapata, the Grand Prix is given for an exceptional wine list of more than 600 references. The award was presented by Rajat Parr, Star Wine List founder Krister Bengtsson, and Norwegian wine media star Liora Levi, who is also Star Wine List’s Ambassador Manager.
Momofuku Ko beat some of the top restaurants in New York to win the title. The silver medalists were:
Ai Fiori
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Chambers
Eleven Madison Park
Le Pavillon
The Four Horsemen
Tribeca Grill
About Momofuku Ko
Momofuku Ko has always been the crown jewel of the David Chang empire, with a 10-course, 3-hour experience that rivals any of the great tasting menus in New York. Right on the other side of the main dining room is the Bar at Ko, a tiny room with some of the most fun and affordable food in the city.
The wine list at Momofuku Ko and Ko bar are the same. The list is French heavy and they have an impressive selection of grower Champagnes, as well as quite a lot of Burgundy with bottle age, and a few really great natural wine producers.
About the 2023 Star Wine List of the Year New York
Star Wine List of the Year is an international celebration of the great wine lists of the world and the people who create them.
“These are awards that celebrate the work of those who work at the very pinnacle of wine,” says Krister Bengtsson, the founder and publisher of Star Wine List.
The Star Wine List of the Year New York was judged by an exceptional panel of wine professionals, including the renowned sommelier and winemaker, Rajat Parr; Christy Canterbury MW; top Canadian sommelier Véronique Rivest and Doug Frost MW MS.
It is part of Star Wine List’s international awards, now the benchmark for wine lists. Other competitions have taken place in the Nordics, South Africa, UK and Australia. As the winner of the Grand Prix in New York, Momofuku Ko will now compete against its peers in the International Final in Stockholm, Sweden on 19 June 2023.
Read about the terms and how Star Wine List judges the wine lists here.
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Catena Zapata
Argentina’s Bodega Catena Zapata, founded in 1902, is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting Malbec and in discovering extreme high altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza.
