By Annette Shailer
Rockpool Bar & Grill has taken out the top gong at the prestigious 2009 Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards presented by Fine Wine Partners and Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine at Studio Twenty4 in Sydney last night (Aug 11).
Running since 1994 the awards are sponsored by Acqua Panna, S.Pellegrino and Riedel and set a national benchmark for quality wine lists.
The world-class Rockpool Bar & Grill list, presented in two volumes – one for white wines and one for red – features an impressive range of wines, including rare collector’s wines worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Rockpool’s wine team’s work was acknowledged with head sommelier, Sophie Otton, receiving the Judy Hirst Award.
Gourmet Traveller WINE editor, Judy Sarris, said they were delighted to see a significant increase in entries for this year’s awards.
“We were thrilled given the challenges of the current economic climate to see this growth and to see standards remaining so high.”
The winning wine lists were spread around the country with NSW victories, including best international hotel restaurant list going to Glass Brasserie and best food and wine matching going to Bilson’s.
Victoria’s winners included Bistro Vue for best cafe/ brasserie list, RACV Members Dining Room for best club list, the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld for best country restaurant list and La Petanque in Main Ridge for best regional list.
South Australian restaurant Fino was awarded best small list and Western Australia claimed two categories, best wine bar list for Must Winebar and best pub restaurant list for Settlers Tavern.
The state winners, included Rockpool Bar & Grill – NSW, The Ginger Room – ACT, Cru Bar & Cellar – QLD, Vue De Monde – VIC, Appellation – SA, Must Winebar – WA and Terrace Restaurant – TAS.
Last year’s national winner Taxi Dining was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The inaugural Gourmet Traveller WINE Readers’ Choice Award was presented to Sydney’s Wildfire.