Star Wine List of the Year Austria 2025 winners show their “enthusiasm for wine culture”

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:

Grand Prix

– The best list of the overall competition.

This category is presented by Premium Estates of Austria

Gold Star:
Döllerer, Golling

What the winners said:
“It should not be a list of pins – we are not selling numbers. It’s about stories, it’s about enthusiasm, it’s about passion – that’s it.”
– Alex Koblinger MS

What the judges said:
“One may pause in awe, but the (wine-) wise connoisseur knows: this is not a place for idle wonder. This is a wine list worthy of legend – perhaps the greatest assembly of wines in Austria, if not the known world. Lesser deeds have inspired hymns and anthems, yet this list offers more than one could desire. This is your chance to go to heaven more than once.”
– Stefan Neumann MS

Best Long List

– For wine lists with more than 600 references.

This category is presented by Esterházy

Gold Star:
Döllerer, Golling

What the winners said:
“I want to say a fantastic thanks so much to everybody, and we love what we do.”
– Christoph Messerig

“A glass of wine is sold by enthusiasm, fun, and taking the client and showing them new areas, new grapes, forgotten vintages, and wines that cannot be found on the map – that is the job of the sommelier.”
– Alex Koblinger MS

What the judges said:
“A truly world-class list that showcases the effort, dedication and attention to detail of the sommelier team behind it; a wonderland for any sommelier or wine-enthusiast, with diversity, depth and variety. This is a stand-out list in terms of range, with a sizeable selection of wines also from outside of Europe and a very exciting collection of sweet wines.”
– Mikk Parre

Silver Stars:
Die Weinbank, Ehrenhausen
Fux Restaurant, Lech
Gastwirtschaft Floh, Langenlebarn
Heunisch & Erben, Vienna
Hotel Alpenstern, Damüls
Mühltalhof, Unternberg
Restaurant Amador, Vienna
Steirereck, Vienna

Best Medium-Sized List

– Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references.

This category is sponsored by Château Galoupet

Gold Star:
Esslokal, Hadersdorf am Kamp

What the winners said:
“We opened as a small restaurant five years ago in one of the best wine regions in the wolrd, in the Kamptal, and so we started small and it’s growing and growing and growing, so we’ll see how it goes!”
– Barbara Huber

What the judges said:
“This list stood out as the best in the medium-sized category for its clear structure, divided by grape varieties and countries, and an easy-to-read format that makes it accessible even to everyone – whether inside the industry or out.”
– Salvatore Castano

Silver Stars:
Gasthaus Restaurant Thaller, Sankt Veit am Vogau
Hotel Post Lech, Lech
Pramerl and the Wolf, Vienna
Restaurant Esskultur, St. Jakob In Haus
Sattlerhof, Gamlitz
Stern, Vienna

Best Short List

– Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings.

Gold Star:
Artis, Graz

What the winners said:
“Thank you so much. The philosophy is to keep it small and also to change a lot. Of course the focus is Austrian, but also Burgundy, Champagne and also a little bit of Bordeaux so it’s a mix.”
– Jan-Hendrik Maier

What the judges said:
“This wine list manages to mix low-intervention wines with rare and mature classic choices. The list features a great diversity of vintages and interesting producers at prices inviting you to explore the selection again and again.”
– Heidi Mäkinen MW

Silver Stars:
Café Azzurro, Vienna
Oak107, Vienna
Restaurant Kornati, Graz
Restaurant Spitzbuam, Brixen im Thale
Strandcafé, Altaussee

Best By the Glass List

– Recognises the best ‘by the glass’ list.

Gold Star:
Heunisch & Erben, Vienna

What the winners said:
“I think it comes down to style, personal taste – myself and the others – we try to, every year, bring something new to the wine list. And we’ve had people in previous years doing great things to the wine list and for me, since I’ve been here, I’m just trying to keep up.”
– Florian Jambor

What the judges said:
“A very cool list of wines by the glass, with a wide choice of Austrian wines as well as carefully selected wines from other countries. Great to see many older vintages as well, which really adds to the diversity. One could spend a week here not getting past the by-the-glass section.”
– Mikk Parre

Silver Stars:
Döllerer, Golling
Hotel Alpenstern, Damüls
Hotel Schöne Aussicht, Sölden
Hotel Sonnenhof Tirol, Grän
MAST Weinbistro, Vienna
Pub Klemo, Vienna
The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna

Best Sparkling Wine List

– Recognises the best list for sparkling wines.

Gold Stars:
Die Weinbank, Ehrenhausen
Restaurant Amador, Vienna

What the winners said:
“Thank you very much for this award. We are focusing more on the micro producers, also in the Champagne area, maybe just two or three hectares, and we are very proud to be serving these sparkling wines.”
– Petr Sternat-Hlinák, Die Weinbank

“Thank you very much for giving this to us once again – we’re very proud after getting it last year. And for sure sparkling wine is one of the focus. The guests are very international so we try to have a good mix of some hidden treasures and grower Champagnes; and you need to have some of the big brands and also not forget Austrian sparkling wines.”
– Alfons Wimmer, Restaurant Amador

What the judges said:
“We decided to award this list as one of the best sparkling wine selections because of its outstanding focus on Austrian sparkling wines and grower Champagnes, showcasing great depth, precision, and exceptional curation.”
– Salvatore Castano on Die Weinbank

“This excellent wine list shows a superb variety of choices, including some of the best sparkling wine producers of the world. It has a great balance between exciting grower Champagnes and quality-driven grand marques, and is presented in a delightfully clear way.”
– Heidi Mäkinen MW on Restaurant Amador

Silver Stars:
aend, Vienna
Champagne Characters, Vienna
Fux Restaurant, Lech
Gastwirtschaft Floh, Langenlebarn
Heunisch & Erben, Vienna
Hofmeisterei Hirtzberger, Wösendorf
Hotel Alpenstern, Damüls

Sustainable Wine List

– Recognises a wine list that has put extra emphasis on the wine program’s overall impact, including vine growing, winemaking, packaging and transport.

Gold Star:
Gastwirtschaft Floh, Langenlebarn

What the winners said:
“It is our passion and our heart – sustainability will lift us and sustainability is very important for us.”
– Josef Floh

What the judges said:
“Sustainability might be a buzzword for some, but rarely do you see such dedication to such an important cause as this year’s winner; it seems much more a way of life than anything that we, as judges, have seen before. Bravo, just bravo!”
– Stefan Neumann MS

Silver Stars:
Die Weinbank, Ehrenhausen
R&Bar, Vienna
Restaurant Esskultur, St. Jakob In Haus
Rote Wand, Lech
Trautentalwirt Gasthaus Rainer, Geistthal