What does it mean to win at Star Wine List of the Year? Sommeliers tell their stories

Paul Grieco and the Terroir Tribeca team celebrating their By the Glass win in New York in March 2024. Photo Gabi Porter.
Rachel Fellows
Published 17-October-2024
Interview

Since 2018, we have celebrated the best wine lists in the world with the Star Wine List of the Year awards. With this season’s competitions in full swing, we asked some previous winners what winning a Gold Star meant to them.

“I like to say that we're in the business of spreading joy, and nowhere is it more evident than during our wine list celebrations,” says Krister Bengtsson, Star Wine List Founder and Publisher. “People laugh, people cry, it is a roller-coaster of emotions. And there is a lot of pride in being recognised by your peers of top sommeliers and wine experts.”

The Star Wine List of the Year awards are always free to enter. Winners in each category receive a prized Gold Star and many go on to compete in our International Final, where the regions are pitted against one another. Runners up receive a Silver Star.

The International Final jury 2024 consisted of top sommeliers Salvatore Castano, Arvid Rosengren, Marc Almert and Heidi Mäkinen MW.

“A lot of recognition must go to our team and formidable jury members who put in days of their time to read the entries. We are fortunate to have World sommelier champions like Arvid Rosengren, Raimonds Tomsons and Marc Almert along with several of the most respected sommeliers from around the world like Nina Jensen, Reeze Choi and Pascaline Lepeltier,” Bengtsson adds.

Here’s what some of our former Gold Star winners have to say about their accolades:

Tom Fahey

The Terrace Rooms & Wine
Best New Zealand List, UK, 2024
Presented by New Zealand Wine Growers

Chef-owner Tom Fahey, The Terrace Rooms and Wine, wins Best New Zealand List, UK. Photo by Thomas Skovsende.

“It’s meant a huge amount to us to win the Gold Star. We have only been operating for three years and to be able to win an award in a notable, global wine competition would have been unthinkable when we opened.

“It’s opened a lot of doors for us and our business... Harpers named me 19th best sommelier in the UK and I have won a scholarship to visit New Zealand. I really don’t think this would have happened without Star Wine list kick-starting our recognition.

“I strongly recommend entering. It’s such a great event, a chance to meet peers and make connections, and the ability to springboard the recognition into a bigger media or industry profile is invaluable.”

Nina Jensen

Alchemist
Grand Prix, International Final, 2023
Presented by Domaine Laroche

Reeze Choi (jury member), Luc Jalenques (Domaine Laroche), Nina Højgaard Jensen (Wine Director at Alchemist), Liora Levi & Arvid Rosengren (Star Wine List).

“It was wild. We were thinking obviously we weren’t going to win, and we did so it was a shock. And it was just so motivating at the same time, because you can very easily get lost in everyday routines, thinking about this and that, considering how to build a list, also at the same time the economy in it and the storage issues – practical things. So to learn that your wine thoughts, and philosophy about what a wine list should be, actually is communicated just through what you have listed – I felt that you guys had really seen what we were trying to do. That was just totally awesome and it really just gives you that extra kick.”

Florent Piard

Les Résistants
Sustainable Wine List, France, 2024
Presented by Domaines Paul Jaboulet Aîné

Florent Piard and Eliott de Moleron, Les Résistants win Sustainable Wine List, France. Photo by ©StudioBaALT

“It meant a lot because it is the first prize/recognition we ever had. Our restaurants are one of those people keep a bit secret. It is a lot of passion but also a lot of work and commitment to build such a wine list and it takes sometimes decades to arrive where we want to be. So, being a winner in Star Wine List of the Year has been really, really important to us because it shows that we are following the right path.

“[We’ve] had lots of feedback from wine professionals and it clearly had an effect with clients from the wine world. It put us on the map, basically.”

Thanakorn Bottorff

Inddee
Best Medium-Sized List, Asia, 2024
Presented by Dreissigacker

Jury member Reeze Choi; Thanakorn Bottorff, Inddee; Samuel Kirr and Janne Michaelis, Dreissigacker; Krister Bengtsson, Star Wine List. Photo by Ray Leung.

“The day I went to the ceremony, [judge] Reeze came to personally congratulate me and tell me how hyped he was about my wine list, which truly left me shocked and speechless. In my opinion, it's not only about having a long index list of wines, the most expensive wines, the rarest wines with a long vertical list of vintages. For me, it’s about giving the wine list its DNA and personality. The wine list should be a learning curve, fun and exciting to read for diverse consumers. It gives me joy every time guests look at the wine list and start to smile, or sometimes I see them laughing. It’s all about enhancing the guest experience.

“I have guests who come to INDDEE because of the wine list, but mostly foreigners. Previously, most locals didn’t know much about Star Wine List, but after this year’s awards more locals started to recognise it.

“I would really love to help promote the brand recognition of Star Wine List, as I believe it will help sommeliers push their boundaries of creativity to maximise the guest dining experience.”

Sam Weatherill

Etch by Steven Edwards
Best Medium-Sized List, UK, 2024
Presented by Luigi Bosca

Sam Weatherill, Etch wins Best Medium-Sized List, UK. Photo by Thomas Skovsende.

“It was a real honour to win the Gold Star this year. We are just a small independent restaurant in a seaside city, so to receive an amazing accolade like this, judged by some of the industry’s best, is a real achievement for us and has filled us with pride. We have been slowly building the list up in terms of size and quality over the years so this award feels like a great reward for all that hard work by the team.

“We have had lots of positive feedback and congratulations from local industry experts, regular guests, and the local wine trade for putting Brighton and Hove on the UK’s wine map.

“We would certainly recommend other sommelier’s and restaurants to enter as it is an amazing opportunity to see where your list is at in terms of its journey to be the best it can be, and put yourself up against the country’s best wine lists.”

Cyril Sartre

Restaurant La Régalade
Best Medium-Sized List, France, 2024
Presented by Dreissigacker

Cyril Sartre, La Régalade, wins Best Medium-Sized List, France. Photo by ©StudioBaALT

“First of all, of course I advise other restaurateurs and sommeliers to participate. We have had a lot of feedback locally, but also beyond our borders.

“We had quite a few foreign customers interested in wine who came to La Régalade thanks to Star Wine List.

“Congratulations on all the work you do to highlight our establishments through our wine lists.”

Harry East

Newcomer Wines
Best Austrian Wine List, UK, 2024
Presented by Austrian Wine

Newcomer Wines win Best Austrian List at Star Wine List of the Year UK 2024.

“Winning has been an incredible honour and a validation of the hard work we've put into our wine program. It has also significantly boosted our visibility within the industry.

“Since winning, we've received plenty of positive feedback and increased attention from both guests and professionals, helping us connect with wine lovers and enhance our reputation.

“I highly recommend that other sommeliers and restaurateurs enter the competition. It’s a fantastic platform for gaining exposure and recognition in the wine and hospitality world.”

Find out more about Star Wine List of the Year, including how to enter your country's competition.

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