The best wine lists in the Nordics – they won the Gold Stars!

Grand Prix

– Recognizes the best wine list with more than 600 listings

Finalists:
Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark
PM & Vänner, Växjö, Sweden
Savoy, Helsinki, Finland
Skigaarden, Hemsedal, Norway

Winner:
PM & Vänner, Växjö, Sweden

”A perennial favorite, that keeps offering up an incredible list of who's who in the world of wine, as well as staying ahead of new trends. Also noteworthy, it offer exceptional value in comparison with many of its peers,” says jury member Arvid Rosengren, Best sommelier of the World 2016.

Rubén Sanz Ramiro, Wine Director said on stage: ”Thank you very much. It’s very kind of you and thank you for the work that you and the jury do, in highlighting the work what we as sommeliers and wine professionals do. We are trying to do the best work we can.”

Rubén says that the wine list philosophy is based on a desire to capture the essence of great terroirs through the wines that are made from them, while making sure that the program is as embracing and welcoming as possible.

"We seek to be a place where everybody who enters our doors can find a bottle that they will enjoy, irrespective of style, price or origin. We also pay great attention to the building of verticals and holding vintages in order to provide the wines the time that we consider necessary for them to bloom. In todays world, this is a great challenge, so a large part of our work is given over to ensuring that we have a good selection of wines that are ready to drink."

"It is very important to keep our program moving, evolving and expanding, welcoming new producers and regions from where we find the excitement that we like to share with our guests. We always approach the development of our wine list with open minds, with a great sense of excitement and with enormous curiosity."

Best Medium-Sized List

– Recognizes the best list with 200-600 references

Finalists:
Admiralgade 26, Copenhagen, Denmark
Brút Restaurant, Reykjavík, Iceland
Carelia, Helsinki, Finland
Julie, Malmö, Sweden

Winner:
Admiralgade 26, Copenhagen, Denmark

”Beautiful wine list filled with energy and joy. Composed of artisanal producers only, it shows great diversity: each style being well-represented both in terms of price and quality level,” says jury member Piotr Pietras, Master Sommelier and runner up Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa 2017.

Marcus Andreassen from Admiralgade 26 said on stage: ”You could say we are the best Medium-Sized Austrian list in the Nordics! Thank you so much it’s fun to be here again.”

Best Short List

– Recognizes the best list with up to 200 references

Finalists:
Baskeri & Basso, Helsinki, Finland
Combo Vinbaren, Stockholm, Sweden
DILL Restaurant, Reykjavík, Iceland
Restaurant Radio, Copenhagen, Denmark

Winner:
Baskeri & Basso, Helsinki, Finland

”Lovely, well-crafted small list, with a focus on natural, terroir-driven wines. There is a clear sense of curation here, everything on the list is there for a reason. And affordable pricing makes the list even more fun to explore,” says jury member Véronique Rivest, Best Sommelier of the Americas 2012.

Katrina Laitinen at Baskeri & Basso said on stage: "We did not expect this. In the Nordic countries, the restaurants wine lists are of such a high quality. I have a good wine list though, haha!!"

Best By the Glass List

– Recognizes the best by-the-glass list

Finalists:
Bar'Vin, Copenhagen, Denmark
Operakällaren, Stockholm, Sweden
Park Hotel Vossevangen, Voss, Norway
Vinho, Turku, Finland

Winner:
Park Hotel Vossevangen, Voss, Norway

”A deep & extravagant by the glass offering. And there are some gems hiding in plain sight at really fair prices! Save up, there's a vinous education to be had here,” says Arvid Rosengren, jury member.

Best Sparkling Wine List

– Recognizes the best wine list with sparkling wine. The category is presented by Nyetimber

Finalists:
Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark
Brút Restaurant, Reykjavík, Iceland
PM & Vänner, Växjö, Sweden
Restaurant Muru, Helsinki, Finland
Skigaarden, Hemsedal, Norway

Winner:
Skigaarden, Hemsedal, Norway

”An unwavering passion for Champagne is evident at Skigaarden with close to one thousand listings! Lots of breadth, well spread across major houses and growers, with innumerable verticals and great depth of vintages. A rare, impressive selection. Please lock me in here!” says the jury’s Véronique Rivest.

Best Austrian Wine List

– Recognizes the best wine list with Austrian wine. The category is presented by Austrian Wine

Finalists:
Admiralgade 26, Copenhagen, Denmark
Brút restaurant, Reykjavík, Iceland
Happolati, Oslo, Norway
Heaven 23, Gothenburg, Sweden
Palace, Helsinki, Finland

Winner:
Heaven 23, Gothenburg, Sweden

”Undoubtedly one of the most interesting and comprehensive Austrian wine lists outside Austria! Very detailed, in-depth, covering all possible styles, leading and upcoming producers and various back vintages too,” says the jury's Piotr Pietras.

Heaven 23's wine director Andreas Hiller commented: "Our Austrian list has been recognized several times by Star Wine List but I am on edge every time there is a Star Wine List of the Year, whether it is in Sweden, the Nordics and International. We are so happy to be acknowledged for our work in this part of the world, and to be recognized by such respected jury members makes all the hard work worthwhile. Now we try harder for next year!"

Special Jury Prize

– Recognizes a venue that has done something extra with their wine list, such as the direction, the style or the value.

Finalists:
Hörte Brygga, Skivarp, Sweden
LAGO, Copenhagen, Denmark
Restaurant C, Tampere, Finland
Territoriet, Oslo, Norway

Winner:
Hörte Brygga, Skivarp, Sweden

”This place continues to impress! They went from a quaint place for insiders to lunch, to a gastronomic destination in a matter of a couple of years, and even more importantly created what can only be called a reference list for Natural Wine. An amazing effort,” says jury member Arvid Rosengren.

Sustainable Wine List

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

Finalists
Amass Restaurant, Copenhagen, Denmark
Credo, Trondheim, Norway
DILL Restaurant, Reykjavík, Iceland
Julie, Malmö, Sweden

Winner:
Amass Restaurant, Copenhagen, Denmark

”’Responsible Deliciousness’ is how they define their mindset. And how they have put it in practice is hugely impressive. Their work and efforts go way beyond food sustainability and aiming for zero waste in the restaurant; they extend to community and children outreach programs, regenerative agriculture support and so much more. Amass is an exemplary and inspirational model of true sustainability in action,” says jury member Véronique Rivest.

Vilma Hinnerson at Amass said on stage: ”It feels amazing to be here again and to win this, there are so many good lists in the Nordic countries. It’s a big push for us in the sustainability part, it feels amazing that you are highlighting this. ”