The results for the 31st annual Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards were announced at an awards ceremony held at Sydney’s Ovolo Hotel on 30 September, with Melbourne’s Gimlet at Cavendish House taking out the top accolade.
Alongside the major trophy, Gimlet was also named Best Wine List Victoria, Australia’s Best Restaurant Wine List – City, and Sommeliers’ Choice Award. Additionally, Gimlet’s Anthony Pieri won the prestigious Judy Hirst Award, which recognises the sommelier behind the winning list.
Judge Andrew Graham praised Gimlet’s wine list for its breadth, balance, and originality.
“The Gimlet list artfully blends the great and the good with a dose of variety and complexity. The selection by the glass here is exceptional, with a nice blend of essential drinks versus indulgences. Very clever. There’s a subtle playfulness here, too, just like the ‘neither red nor white wine’ section, just to remind us that not everything has to be serious. It’s a list with high appeal for all wine lovers,” he said.
This is the first time in three years that a Victorian venue has won the national title, with Sydney’s Cirrus Bar & Dining taking home the crown in 2023 and Brisbane’s Cru Bar + Cellar winning the title in 2022.
The two other finalists for the top gong were Brisbane’s Agnes Restaurant, which judges said had one of the country’s most diverse and enticing by-the-glass selections, and Perth’s Gibney, which only opened earlier in the year and was commended for its luxurious selection of both international and local offerings.
Joining Agnes and Gibney, which won the awards for Best Wine List Queensland and Western Australia respectively, the winners from other states comprised Monopole for NSW, The Salopian Inn for South Australia, Molto Wine Bar and Cellars Hobart for Tasmanian, and Capitol Bar & Grill for ACT. NSW was a standout among the states with 15 awards in total across its venues.
Chairman of Judges Peter Forrestal said that the calibre of this year’s results reflects the vibrancy of Australian wine hospitality.
“Never has the scene been more vibrant with a wide range of choices facing consumers; better-educated sommeliers and waiting staff, more thoughtfully curated lists, or more carefully assembled cellars. Nor more delicious wines from a wider range of countries as well as fantastic offerings from Australia. While the density of population means that it is scarcely surprising that the capital cities dominate, wining and dining in country areas has never been better than it is now.
“While last year’s results showed the power and class of the Sydney establishments, the first three places this year went to Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. These results come following voting by the entire Australian and international judging panel; a formidable group and the results are generally close, as they were this year.
“It is the dining public and the restaurants, themselves, who benefit from the close scrutiny given to wine lists within the confines of Australia’s Wine List of the Year,” he said.
Reflecting the changing nature of the Australian hospitality industry, this year’s awards featured four new categories. The award for Australia’s Best Listing of Organic and Biodynamic Australian Wines went to O Bar & Dining in Sydney; Australia’s Best Listing of Greek Wines was given to Hellenika at the Calile in Brisbane; Australia’s Best Listing of Museum and Rare Wines was won by Wickens at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, Victoria; and Sydney’s Quay won Australia’s Best Listing of New Zealand Wines.
Established by Rob Hirst OAM, his wife Judy, and Tucker Seabrook in 1993, Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards recognise the time, skill, and resourced put into developing a wine list.
Not only was 2024 the year that Hirst was awarded and OAM for his services to oenology and to industry associations, it was also a record year for the awards, with a 10 per cent increase in the number of entrants.
“It is wonderful to see that with this growth in entries, the industry continues to excel in compiling and presenting top-quality wine lists. This year an outstanding 276 venues received a Three Glass ranking. This represents a 12 per cent increase on last year, demonstrating that not only is the number of lists entered growing but the standard of these lists is growing at a faster rate.
“Since day one, we set the bar high for a wine list to achieve a Three Glass ranking, and such excellent progress only serves to further enhance Australia’s reputation as a world-class provider of exceptional wine and dining experiences,” Hirst said.
“Every Award and Glass winning venue should be very proud of all they have put into their lists, and we are very happy to bring the industry together to celebrate these outstanding venues and their talented sommeliers.”