The International Open finalists 2026 – Africa and Middle East
What do the Seychelles, Israel, South Africa, Turkey and Mauritius all have in common? They’re all home to finalists in the Star Wine List of the Year International Open 2026. Meet this season’s cohort in Africa and the Middle East ahead of our awards announcement on 2 February.
The Star Wine List of the Year International Open rewards the teams behind the world’s best wine lists with Gold Stars – and entry into our International Final, to battle it out against the other regional winners on our tour.
While we hosted an awards event for the UAE in Dubai last year, these are the restaurants and bars across the rest of the Middle East, and Africa, shortlisted by our judges in this season’s worldwide competition. Discover them all!
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references
Finalists:
Archipel at Constance Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Aubergine, Cape Town, South Africa
Blue Penny Cellar at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
Culture Wine Bar, Cape Town, South Africa
Cyann Restaurant, Mahé, Seychelles
Diva, Praslin, Seychelles
Best Medium-Sized List
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
Finalists:
Côte, Tel Aviv, Israel
Grub & Vine, Cape Town, South Africa
Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey
Lunacy, Cape Town, South Africa
Best Sparkling Wine List
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
Finalists:
Archipel at Constance Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Blue Penny Cellar at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
Culture Wine Bar, Cape Town, South Africa
Cyann Restaurant, Mahé, Seychelles
Diva, Praslin, Seychelles
Best By-the-Glass List
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
Finalists:
Archipel at Constance Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Blue Penny Cellar at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
Culture Wine Bar, Cape Town, South Africa
Cyann Restaurant, Mahé, Seychelles
Côte, Tel Aviv, Israel
Diva, Praslin, Seychelles
Grub & Vine, Cape Town, South Africa
Lunacy, Cape Town, South Africa
Best Newcomer List
Recognises a venue that has recently opened
Finalists and winners will be announced together, on 2 February 2026
Best Austrian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Austria
A category presented by Austrian Wine
Finalists:
Archipel at Constance Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Blue Penny Cellar at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
Diva, Praslin, Seychelles
Best Italian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy
Finalists:
Archipel at Constance Prince Maurice, Mauritius
Blue Penny Cellar at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
Cyann Restaurant, Mahé, Seychelles
Côte, Tel Aviv, Israel
Diva, Praslin, Seychelles
Special Jury Prize
Rewards a wine lovers’ place that does something out of the ordinary
Finalists and winners will be announced together, on 2 February 2026
Expert jury panel
- Julie Dupouy-Young – four-time Best Sommelier in Ireland; third place at Best Sommelier of the World 2016 (ASI)
- Jonathan Gouveia – Master Sommelier
- Stefan Neumann – Master Sommelier
Rules
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Commercial opportunities
Please email us to discuss sponsoring a category in the Star Wine List of the Year International Open 2025.
Search like a Pro – explore 3,500+ wine lists
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.
