Star Wine List partners with ProWein for 2026
Across the world, the ProWein fairs now welcome more than 90,000 visitors a year thanks to exhibitions in Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, São Paulo and Tokyo. Meet Star Wine List’s new global partner as we head towards the new year – and a new calendar of events.
“We are very excited to work with ProWein and connect wine professionals in even more places around the world in 2026!” says Krister Bengtsson, Founder and Publisher of Star Wine List. “In particular, we look forward to bringing our wine list celebrations to Tokyo and Singapore in April.”
In April 2025, Star Wine List hosted the first Japanese competition of our global awards tour, at ProWine Tokyo. It was an illuminating event that brought together sommeliers from across the country as we assessed their wine lists.
Judge Stephen Wong, a Master of Wine, commented at the time that “the inaugural season for Star Wine List of the Year Japan brought an outstanding array of lists.” He was joined on the jury panel by Toru Takamatsu, who became Japan’s youngest Master Sommelier when he earned the title in 2019; his presence at our awards ceremony was much anticipated by our esteemed guests. And so it was that Star Wine List of the Year Japan 2025 proved exactly the sort of celebration – of excellence, talent, and mutual respect – that we hope to host through our awards events.
The fact that this event took place at ProWine Tokyo was crucial, with this fair bringing together enthusiastic members of the wine trade and press into one central location, and engaging them in thoughtful discussions about the trends, challenges and future of the industry. It was a symbiotic collaboration that we are now looking forward to extending across the world, as ProWein joins Star Wine List as a global partner.
Once again, we will host our Japanese awards at ProWine Tokyo, in April 2026, and then we will celebrate the wine lists of Southeast Asia at ProWine Singapore later that month. What’s more, the Star Wine List team will be exhibiting at ProWein Düsseldorf, the original iteration of this now truly international operation. And that’s just for starters.
“We are delighted to welcome Star Wine List as a global partner,” says Frank Schindler, Director of ProWein Düsseldorf. “This collaboration covers ProWein in Düsseldorf, as well as our six international ProWine events in Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai, Singapore, São Paulo and Hong Kong. With its editorial content, international reach, and close ties to the global community of gastronomy and wine experts, Star Wine List is a perfect fit for our global network.”
Global wine exhibitions
The very first ProWein was held in Düsseldorf in February 1994, under the name ProVins. Over the past 30 years, it has grown into one of the world’s foremost wine fairs, now lasting for three days at a time and incorporating the wine, spirits and low- and no-alcohol sectors.
Fairs now bring together key figures from the markets in Europe (via the original Düsseldorf edition), Japan (via ProWine Tokyo), China Mainland (ProWine Shanghai), Southeast Asia (ProWine Singapore), Northeast Asia (ProWine Hong Kong), Latin America (ProWine São Paulo) and India (ProWine Mumbai), reflecting the constantly evolving nature of the world’s wine trade.
And navigating the wine scenes of the world is just what Star Wine List is here to do, by naming and lauding the top spots for wine lovers to enjoy a glass or a bottle in as many countries as we can cover, based on the recommendations of industry experts (sommeliers, writers and educators including Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers). These are our Red Stars, which you’ll find on our world wine guide.
The Star Wine List of the Year awards tour takes things one step further – it’s our annual competition circuit, which judges the best wine programmes of individual markets each year, bestowing Gold Stars on winners and then pitting regional champions against one another in an International Final. Above all, it’s a celebration of the wine lists in question, and the people who have created them.
People who all flock to the ProWine shows across the world. People who understand the trends of the day and, in fact, help to drive wine sales in each market. People with a shared interest – not to mention expertise – in wine. Star Wine List is looking forward to meeting, celebrating, talking to and learning from these people at the ProWine World events in 2026.
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