The International Open finalists 2026 – Australasia and Oceania
We celebrate the world’s best wine lists with our Star Wine List of the Year competition. The International Open covers any and all regions that we are not visiting in person during each seasonal tour, with venues in Australasia and Oceania often coming out on top. So who’s battling it out for Gold Stars this year?
The judges of the Star Wine List of the Year International Open 2026 have shortlisted their top wine lists across the world, and these are the restaurants and bars of Australasia and Oceania now in with a chance for a Gold Star.
We welcome back three reigning Australian Gold Stars from last year’s competition – Enoteca Boccaccio (Melbourne), Table Manners (Sydney) and Ten Minutes by Tractor (Mornington Peninsula) – among plenty of others in both Australia and New Zealand. See the full line up, below.
Winners will be announced on 2 February and automatically entered into the Star Wine List of the Year International Final, in June 2026.
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references
Finalists:
Cru Bar & Cellar, Brisbane, Australia
Hardy’s Verandah, Crafers, Australia
Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth, Perth, Australia
Ten Minutes by Tractor, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Australia
Best Medium-Sized List
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
Finalists:
Attenzione! Food & Wine, Sydney, Australia
Enoteca Boccaccio, Melbourne, Australia
Jennie Wine Bar, Adelaide, Australia
Le Foote, Sydney, Australia
Mayfair Lane, Perth, Australia
Olympus, Redfern, Australia
Table Manners, Sydney, Australia
Toast & Oak, Queenstown, New Zealand
Best Short List
Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings
Finalists:
Charley Noble Eatery & Bar, Wellington, New Zealand
Firepop, Sydney, Australia
The Cellar Dunedin, Dunedin, New Zealand
Timber Door Cellars, Geelong, Australia
Yellow, Sydney, Australia
Best Sparkling Wine List
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
Finalists:
Cru Bar & Cellar, Brisbane, Australia
Hardy’s Verandah, Crafers, Australia
Mayfair Lane, Perth, Australia
Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth, Perth, Australia
Ten Minutes by Tractor, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Australia
Best By-the-Glass List
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
Finalists:
Charley Noble Eatery & Bar, Wellington, New Zealand
Cru Bar & Cellar, Brisbane, Australia
Enoteca Boccaccio, Melbourne, Australia
Hardy’s Verandah, Crafers, Australia
Le Foote, Sydney, Australia
Olympus, Redfern, Australia
Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth, Perth, Australia
Ten Minutes by Tractor, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Australia
Toast & Oak, Queenstown, New Zealand
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:
Cru Bar & Cellar, Brisbane, Australia
Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth, Perth, Australia
Ten Minutes by Tractor, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Australia
Best Italian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy
Finalists:
Attenzione! Food & Wine, Sydney, Australia
Cru Bar & Cellar, Brisbane, Australia
Enoteca Boccaccio, Melbourne, Australia
Hardy’s Verandah, Crafers, Australia
Jennie Wine Bar, Adelaide, Australia
Le Foote, Sydney, Australia
Rockpool Bar & Grill Perth, Perth, Australia
Table Manners, Sydney, Australia
Ten Minutes by Tractor, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Australia
Toast & Oak, Queenstown, New Zealand
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.
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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.
