Wines of Germany presents German Wine List category in the UK

On Feb. 21, the 2022 UK Wine List of the Year awards will be celebrated, co-hosted by Star Wine List and The Buyer. The category German Wine List is presented by Wines of Germany – for the second year in a row.

"We were inspired last year by the fantastic entrants in the ‘German Wine List of the Year’ category and would love to keep supporting those who are really making space for the amazing range of German wines on offer on their lists," says Nicky Forrest, head of Wines of Germany in the UK.

Last year, Vineyard at Stockcross won the German Wine List category. The category proved to be particularly hard to judge, which illustrates how important German wines are on premium restaurant wine lists.

Vineyard at Stockcross won the German Wine List category 2021.

"What’s great about German wine is we have Riesling and it’s such a diverse and food-friendly wine and we see entire menus successfully paired with different expressions of Riesling, but there is so much more to discover from Germany which is why we are so pleased to be involved in these awards and this category in particular," says Nicky Forrest.

What is a great wine list, in your opinion?
"In terms of German wine, I always used to say that you could tell the quality of a restaurant by the number of German Rieslings it had on its list, but now it has become so ubiquitous in the fine dining world I now look to see how many German Pinot Noirs a restaurant has in its list as a marker of quality."

"More generally, there should be a balance between trusted classics, exciting newcomers and wines that defy expectations. The most successful lists give the sommelier the opportunity to share their enthusiasm, without overwhelming their guest. It ensures that there is something to capture the attention of every diner, no matter how adventurous they are feeling at that given moment."

What would you like to see coming through in the lists of German wines in this category?
"More Sekt please! With the UK’s obsession with sparkling, it would be great to see more Sekt, specifically the traditional method Winzersekt, on menus. It’s a great alternative to other sparkling wines on offer and can make for a real point of difference on a menu. There is also space for some of the other, white Pinot Varieties, that German does so well."

What trends are you seeing when it comes to German wines being listed?
"Dry German Riesling has been a real success story in the premium on-trade. In the past few years Riesling has really found its place on fine dining lists. German Pinot Noir is also coming to the fore delivering quality and complexity at a price point well below other Pinot-producing regions and I am sure that this trend will only grow as more people discover the breadth of different styles of Spätburgunder on offer."

The finalists in the German Wine List category – and all other categories – will be announced on Feb. 10. On Feb. 21 the winners will be revealed during a live event in London. Apart from the honour and the gold certificates, winners of the international categories are qualified to the International Final of Star Wine List of the Year in June 2022.

Salvatore Castano, Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa 2021, is one of the judges in Star Wine List's top sommelier jury.

JURY
• Salvatore Castano, Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa 2021
• Arvid Rosengren, Best Sommelier of the World 2016
• Raimonds Tomsons, Best Sommelier of Europe 2017
• Rajat Parr, sommelier, winemaker, author
• Ruth Spivey, sommelier, writer, Star Wine List UK ambassador

CATEGORIES AND CRITERIA
The jury will vote independently for their favorites considering width, depth, originality and value. The jurys' votes are then added up to decide the finalists and the winners.

CATEGORIES:
International categories:
Grand Prix: Recognizes the best large wine list, with more than 600 references.
Austrian Wine List: The category is presented by Austrian Wine and recognizes the best Austrian Wine List.
By The Glass List: Recognizes the best by the glass list.
Sparkling Wine List: Recognizes the wine list with sparkling wine.
Special Jury Prize: Recognizes a venue that has done something extra with their wine list, such as the direction, the style or the value.
Best Short List: Recognizes the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings.
Best Medium-Sized List: The category is presented by Matteo Lupi Wines and recognizes the best wine list with 200-600 listings.

The winners in the international international categories are all qualified to the international final of Star Wine List of The Year that will be held in June.

National categories:
Best German Wine List: The category is presented by Wines of Germany and recognizes the best wine list with German wines.
Best New Zealand Wine List: The category is presented by New Zealand Wine and recognizes the best wine list with New Zealand wines.
Best Californian Wine List: The category is presented by Louis M. Martini and recognizes the best wine list with Californian wines.

More categories may be announced before the competition date.

Read more about how we judge Star Wine List of the Year here.

Published 03-February-2022
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