Speilsalen at Trondheim’s Britannia Hotel wins Best Sparkling Wine List in Norway 2024

The award for Best Sparkling Wine List was presented by Vegar Hafstad, on behalf of Nyetimber, to Speilsalen's Head Sommelier, Aron Grønås. Pictured with Star Wine List's Liora Levi and Krister Bengtsson. Photo by CF Wesenberg.
Rachel Fellows
Published 14-October-2024
News / Norway

At an awards ceremony held at the Hotel Bristol in Oslo on Sunday, 13 October, Speilsalen at Britannia Hotel took the prize for the Best Sparkling Wine List in Norway.

Head Sommelier Aron Grønås was presented with his team's Gold Star by Vegar Hafstad of Toast Group, on behalf of category sponsor Nyetimber.

Grønås said that they were very happy winning the category that they really wanted to win.

“This list stood out as the finest when it comes to sparkling wine selections” said judge Salvatore Castano. “The incredible range of back vintages, coupled with a well-curated library of sparkling wines from around the world, truly set it apart. From iconic Champagne houses to lesser-known producers, every bottle reflects a dedication to excellence and diversity. The global representation of sparkling wines on offer not only showcases a deep understanding of the category but also offers something unique for every palate.”

Speilsalen will now be entered into the Best Sparkling Wine List category at the Star Wine List International Final, where they will compete against winners from around the world, in June 2025.

Runners up

Silver Stars for lists' sparkling selections were awarded to:

Arakataka, Oslo
Hos Moi, Kristiansand
Park Hotel Vossevangen, Voss
RE-NAA, Stavanger
Tollbua, Trondheim
Vinland, Oslo

Expert jury

The awards were decided by our global panel of wine experts:

  • Salvatore Castano, Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa 2021
  • Nina Jensen, Second Best Sommelier of the World 2023 (ASI)
  • Piotr Pietras, Master Sommelier
  • Merete Bø, Best Sommelier of The Nordics/Norway

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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Nyetimber

English sparkling producer Nyetimber is the leading producer of sparkling wine in the country.

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