Sticks & Stones Winebar won Best Newcomer List in the International Final
Sticks & Stones Winebar in Munich, Germany, was the proud winner of the category Best Newcomer List when Star Wine List of the Year International Final was celebrated on June 24. The category recognizes a venue that recently opened, and was presented by DAOU.
"Congratulations to everyone here. I had prepared my speech for the BTG, so now I’m screwed," said Sticks & Stones Winebar's owner Justine Leone when he was handed the Gold Star diploma. "No, but it takes a lot of courage and thinking outside the box for creating what we do. Thank you to Star Wine List for picking up where Michelin dropped off, giving credit to all the great sommeliers and wine places out there."
”What an incredible list for a new venture. Obviously there's years and years of work behind a list like this, with dedication and passion for wine obviously written all over it. Can't wait to visit!” said the jury’s Arvid Rosengren.
The category was presented by DAOU, represented on stage by Pieter du Toit.
”It seemed like a perfect fit for us to present this award in Stockholm. And the newcomer category suits us well, since we’re a bit of newcomers ourselves," he said before announcing the winner.
Sticks & Stones Winebar is owned and run by "Germany's rock star sommelier" Justin Leone (also a Star Wine List ambassador), and here you can enjoy around 700 wines by the glass, and even more by the bottle. Thanks to the Coravin Vinitas system, you can get 0,1 servings of, for example, classic Bordeaux, aged California, top Burgundy, rare Australia, world-class German Riesling.
Earlier this year, Sticks & Stones won three Gold Stars when Star Wine List of the Year Germany was celebrated: Newcomer, Californa and By the Glass.
The Silver Star winners in the newcomer category were:
Signature Restaurant Umhlanga, Durban, South Africa
Hermetikken Restaurant, Stavanger, Norway
Bar Pez, Dublin, Ireland
Josephine Vinhandel & Bar, Copenhagen, Denmark
Restaurant Imprévu by De Barrier, Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium
Chin Chin wine bar, Tallinn, Estonia
Lowine bar, Riga, Latvia
14 Horses, Vilnius, Lithuania
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Dubai, UAE
Les Parcellaires, Annecy, France
Mountain, London, UK
ILIS, New York City, US
Brasserie Draken, Gothenburg, Sweden
Minne Champagne & Wine, Helsinki, Finland
Enoteca Boccaccio, Melbourne, Australia
Colonnade, Lucerne, Switzerland
nineOfive Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic, Hong Kong
The Star Wine List of the Year tour 2023-2024 started in South Africa in September 2023 and has passed through Asia, Europe and North America on its way to the final Stockholm. All in all, 14 events have been held, from Hong Kong to New York and Dubai to Vienna.
Finalists from 20 countries – from some of the most renowned restaurants in the world – and well over 100 international guests travelled to Stockholm to be a part of the celebration on June 24. The awards in Stockholm was held during a full-day event for finalists, partners and media. Wine lovers from around the world could join the live-streamed event on Star Wine List’s Facebook page.
Jury
The jury of our international final was filled with sommelier champions:
• Salvatore Castano, ASI Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa
• Arvid Rosengren, ASI Best Sommelier of the World
• Marc Almert, Asi Best Sommelier of the World
• Heidi Mäkinen MW
”Overall, we were presented with incredible wine lists to evaluate, each demonstrating an impressive level of quality. The high standard across the board made our task particularly challenging, as each list brought something unique and outstanding to the table, reflecting the passion and expertise of their curators,” said Salvatore Castano of the jury work.
Categories and criteria
Star Wine List's jury evaluates the wine lists in several categories such as the Best Sparkling Wine List and Best By the Glass List. The criteria for the jury are straightforward but not simple: Vote for the most exciting wine list representing the category.
Read about the terms and how Star Wine List judges the wine lists here.
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