Star Wine List of the Year Asia 2023 – and the winners are…
On 23 May 2023, Star Wine List celebrated the best wine lists in Asia, and the teams behind them, during Vinexpo Asia in Singapore. Robuchon au Dôme in Macau won Gold Stars in two categories, Grand Prix and Best California Wine List. Here are all the Gold Star winners!
”The center of the wine world is moving eastwards it seems, as evidenced by the outstanding wine lists we sifted through this year. Any and everything wine lovers could want, it's right here. We're especially excited to see some exceptional shorter lists, with idiosyncratic focus and obvious passion,” says jury member Arvid Rosengren, Best Sommelier of the World 2016.
The celebration of Star Wine List of the Year in Asia is a part of Star Wine List's international tour and the winners in the international categories in Asia will now move on to compete against the winners from many other countries in the international final in June 2023.
For our first Star Wine List of the Year Asia, we welcomed wine list entries from the markets where Star Wine List is already active: Greater China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei; Japan; Singapore; South Korea and Thailand.
Jury
In the jury panel for Star Wine List of the Year Asia, we had four of the top sommeliers in the world:
Reeze Choi, Third Best Sommelier of the World 2023 (ASI)
Arvid Rosengren, Best Sommelier of the World 2016 (ASI)
Pascaline Lepeltier, Best Sommelier of France 2018
Justin Ho Li Vern, Best Sommelier of Malaysia 2018
The criteria for the jury are straightforward but not so simple: Vote for the most exciting wine list representing the category.
So without further ado – here are the winners:
International Categories:
Best Austrian Wine List
– Recognizes the best wine list with Austrian wines.
The category is presented by Austrian Wine
Finalists:
Ăn Đi, Tokyo
Chef’s Table by Chef Stephan, Singapore
Chi-Fu, Osaka
Ginza Soseki, Tokyo
Leopold, Singapore
Robuchon au Dôme, Macau
Winner:
Ginza Soseki, Tokyo
”Small scale but with a focus. Interesting and diverse selections with iconic producers in different styles to pair with Edomae-style cuisine. Exciting,” says jury member Justin Ho Li Vern.
Grand Prix
– The best wine list with more than 600 references.
Finalists:
Ensue, Shenzhen
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Mesa by José Avillez, Macau
Odette, Singapore
Park 90, Singapore
Robuchon au Dôme, Macau
Sinasera 24, Taitung
Winner:
Robuchon au Dôme, Macau
”Does size matter? Yes! A dream-come-true wine list for sommeliers to curate. An almost complete list with almost everything you would like to see from wine producing countries,” says Justin Ho Li Vern.
Best Medium-Sized Wine List
– Recognizes the best wine list with 200-600 references.
Finalists:
Andō, Hong Kong
Belon, Hong Kong
DNA Spanish Restaurant, Taichung City
Embla, Hong Kong
Hakkasan Shanghai, Shanghai
La Dame de Pic Singapore, Singapore
Louise, Hong Kong
LPM Restaurant & Bar, Hong Kong
The Restaurant (Villa 32), Taipei
Winner:
Hakkasan Shanghai, Shanghai
”A noticeable, and remarkable, effort to create a list both compelling in its selection, but also in its design! From the smart and short explanations to the highlights, the use of symbols and annotation, even the indication of percentage on top of the grapes and the production techniques, the list is packed with pertinent informations that never overwhelm, but make you curious to drink the well-though curation. A note: it will match the restaurant concept, as well as the possibility to please any type of wine drinker's desire (price or style),” says the jury’s Pascaline Lepeltier about the winning list.
Best Short List
– Recognizes the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings.
Finalists:
Bar Cicheti, Singapore
Bar Cyclone, Hong Kong
Haoma, Bangkok
MAZ, Tokyo
Quince Bangkok, Bangkok
Seroja, Singapore
The Chairman Restaurant, Hong Kong
Whey, Hong Kong
Winner:
Seroja, Singapore
”A well-managed wine list, with a lot of consideration. A short, but allround wine list for almost all kinds of customers,” says jury member Reeze Choi.
Best Sparkling Wine List
– Recognizes the best list with sparkling wines.
The category is presented by Nyetimber
Finalists:
Ensue, Shenzhen
LPM Restaurant & Bar, Hong Kong
Mesa by José Avillez, Macau
Robuchon au Dôme, Macau
Seroja, Singapore
Sinasera 24, Taitung
Terrazza, Macau
Winner:
Ensue, Shenzhen
"It feels amazing, I didn’t expect that, because Champagne wasn’t a big thing in China before. Four to five years ago we probably had like twenty wineries from the Champagne region, because we could only sell wines that were imported, not like in Hong Kong and Singapore where you could purchase wine from an auction or negociant," says Ensue's Della Tang.
"Right now the Chinese wine market is growing, so we're able to have more and more Champagne on the list."
Jury member Arvid Rosengren:
”Firmly rooted in Champagne, Ensue exhibits a deep and diverse list that will leave no bubbly lover wanting."
After the event, Della Tang told Star Wine List's Liora Levi how she used Star Wine List as a tool during Covid:
"Star Wine List is a great source to refresh your mind, learn about others, and see other people's creativity in wine list construction or their philosophy. Also, during Covid, we couldn't travel, so I would look at Star Wine List and think: ok, after Covid, where do I want to go."
Best By the Glass List
– Recognizes the best by the glass list.
Finalists:
Andō, Hong Kong
Bar Cyclone, Hong Kong
Belon, Hong Kong
La Dame de Pic Singapore, Singapore
Louise, Hong Kong
MAZ, Tokyo
SOMM, Hong Kong
The Restaurant (Villa 32), Taipei
Winner:
Bar Cyclone, Hong Kong
”Simply an incredible list of wines available by the glass, from the classic to avant garde, casual to ’unobtainable’ (clearly not so!),” says Arvid Rosengren.
Special Jury Prize
– Recognizes a venue that has done something extra with their wine list, such as the direction, the style or the value.
Finalists:
Embla, Hong Kong
Grand Majestic Sichuan, Hong Kong
Seroja, Singapore
Winner:
Grand Majestic Sichuan, Hong Kong
”A truly unique way of introducing wines to guests by a special organization of the list: far from feeling gimmicky, it looks like the design of the list pay respect to the culture Grand Majestic Sichuan wants to incarnate, and by doing so, offers a new entry way to the world of wine! And last but not least, with a smart selection, very ecclectic, offering a lot of great options for all,” says Pascaline Lepeltier.
Sustainable Wine List
– This award evaluates both the venue's wine list and how they work with sustainability
The category is presented by Parés Baltà
Finalists:
Ăn Đi, Tokyo
Bar Cicheti, Singapore
Embla, Hong Kong
Haoma, Bangkok
La Cabane, Hong Kong
Seroja , Singapore
Winner:
Haoma, Bangkok
”One of the most impressive commitments to sustainability I have seen from a chef and its team. Bravo to Haoma not only for a great, focused wine program featuring vignerons from all over the world committed to better viticulture and delicious wines, but to Chef Deepankler Khosla for creating such a remarkable restaurant and making real a true sustainability! What Haoma is aiming, and achieving - from the sourcing to the zero-waste to the giving back - is nothing short of extraordinary - yet should inspire of all us to make such practices ordinary!” says jury member Pascaline Lepeltier.
Vishvas Sidana, food and beverage director at Haoma, says:
"We are super excited and happy to learn about winning the Sustainable category. It has been a great journey with Haoma in the past six years and we are progressing in all ways to help the local community and bring true sustainability to fine dining. I have been a fan of Pascaline Lepeltier’s work since my early days as a wine waiter and to be recognized for my work at Haoma by her and fellow jury members is nothing but a dream come true!"
National Categories
Best California Wine List
– Recognizes the best list with Californian wines.
The category is presented by Louis M. Martini
Finalists:
CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Marina Bay Sands Singapore, Singapore
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Mesa by José Avillez, Macau
Park 90, Singapore
Robuchon au Dôme, Macau
Smith & Wollensky Taipei, Taipei
SOMM, Hong Kong
The Restaurant (Villa 32), Taipei
Winner:
Robuchon au Dôme, Macau
”A huge collection of California wine. Not only can you experience dfferent wine producers and AVA’s, also different vintages side by side,” says Reeze Choi.
The winners in the international categories will qualify for our International Final in June, where they will face off with the category winners from other cities and countries, such as South Africa, Australia, New York, UK and Sweden.
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.
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.
Parés Balta
A family winery in Penedès, producing high quality organic and biodynamic wines.
Louis M. Martini
Louis M. Martini is an iconic Californian wine producer. Read more by clicking on the logo.
