Top sommelier quartet joins the jury for Ireland
On October 9, Star Wine List will come to Ireland to celebrate the best wine lists and the teams behind them for the first time. All Irish restaurants and wine bars are welcome to enter, free of charge, and for the event we have gathered an all-female top sommelier jury: Pascaline Lepeltier, Veronique Rivest, Julie Dupouy-Young and Heidi Mäkinen.
"We are excited to bring our wine list awards to Ireland for the first time. The interest from Irish sommeliers has been extremely encouraging and we look forward to celebrating their wine lists with the Sommit in Waterford," says Krister Bengtsson, Star Wine List publisher.
All four of the well-merited jury members have been part of several Star Wine List of the Year events throughout the years but now judge together in this constellation for the first time.
"Of course, we are proud and happy to have these top professionals on the jury panel for the first ever Star Wine List of the Year Ireland," says Krister Bengtsson.
Ireland will be our third stop on our 2023-2024 International tour, and this is the very first time we are running it in Ireland. The event will be held on October 9 in Waterford during the Sommit Ireland.
Categories and criteria
Star Wine List judges the wine lists in several categories such as the Best Sparkling Wine List and Best By the Glass List. These categories are the same across all of the awards. In addition, local categories may be added.
The criteria for the jury are straightforward but not simple: Vote for the most exciting wine list representing the category.
THE CATEGORIES
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
• Grand Prix
The best list overall
• Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references.
• Best Medium-Sized List, presented by Chateau Tour des Termes
200-600 references.
• Best Short List
<200 references.
• Best Austrian Wine List, presented by Austrian Wine
• Best Sparkling Wine List, presented by Nyetimber
• Best California Wine List, presented by DAOU
• Best By the Glass List
• Best Newcomer List
• Sustainable Wine List, presented by Torres
For the Sustainable Wine List category, not only the wine list is evaluated, but also the stated actions of the venue, as described through a questionnaire in the application.
We have commercial partners for certain categories, such as the Best Sparkling Wine List, presented by Nyetimber. The partners are, however, never involved in the selections of finalists or winners — that is of course completely up to our independent jury panel.
The winners in the international categories will qualify for our International Final in June 2024, where they will face off with the category winners from other countries and continents.
More categories, the jury and other news will be presented in this post later.
Read about the terms and how Star Wine List judges the wine lists here.
Do like the Pros - search 2500+ 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.
Nyetimber
English sparkling producer Nyetimber is the leading producer of sparkling wine in the country.
Torres
Read more about Familia Torres by clicking on the logo.
DAOU
Read more about DAOU by clicking on the logo.
Chateau Tour des Termes
Château Tour des Termes is located north of Bordeaux in one of Saint-Estèphe 's great terroirs. Recently acquired by Irish green entrepreneur Dr Eddie O'Connor, the team is dedicated to the future by focusing on sustainable and detail-oriented viticulture.
