Presented by Fine Wine Partners and Gourmet Traveller WINE
The awards were announced on 6th August at glass brasserie Sydney and tweeted by Inside Cuisine live.
The Royal Mail Hotel from Dunkeld, Western Victoria has won the prestigious Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards 2012. This iconic Aussie hotel located in the middle of the bush triumphed over Australia’s big city restaurants with the quality and depth of its wine list.
The list presented by sommelier Sebastian Crowther was described as exemplary by awardChairman of Judges, Peter Forrestal, who is supported by a panel of 28 of some of the world’s finest wine commentators, Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine from across Australasia, the UK, Europe, the USA, and Asia.
“Everyone was thoroughly impressed by the Royal Mail’s extensive choice of wines across different price points, wines by the glass, collections of museum verticals and, of special note, an extraordinary selection of local and international rieslings,” said Rob Hirst, chairman ofFine Wine Partners and Judy Sarris, editor, Gourmet Traveller WINE. TheRoyal Mail also won best Country Restaurant Wine List, Best List in Victoria and sommelier Sebastian Crowther was awarded the Judy Hirst Award for his role managing the winning list.
Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards presented by premium wine distributorFine Wine Partners and leading magazine Gourmet Traveller WINE was established in 1994. Each year the event brings together an esteemed, independent panel to judge Australia’s wine lists – a harder task than ever in 2012 – with a record 425 lists submitted by restaurants, wine bars, international hotels, clubs, pubs, cafes and brasseries across the country.
A new accolade, Best Listing of Australian Wine (won by Sydney’sAria) was created this year to reflect a call from consumers and the local wine community to see more Australian wines on our wine lists.
Congratulations to all the winners.
OVERALL – NATIONAL WINNER OF THE 2012 AUSTRALIA’S WINE LIST OF THE YEAR AWARDS:
BEST RESTAURANT WINE LIST – Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld
THE JUDY HIRST AWARD – Sebastian Crowther, Royal Mail, Dunkeld
CATEGORY WINNERS
NEW WINE LIST – TONY HITCHIN AWARD – The Trustee, Perth, WA
REGIONAL WINE LIST – Lake House, Daylesford, Vic
SMALL WINE LIST- Bloodwood, Sydney, NSW
FOOD AND WINE MATCHING WINE LIST – Circa, The Prince, Vic
INTERNATIONAL HOTEL RESTAURANT WINE LIST – Balla, The Star, Sydney, NSW
WINE BAR LIST – Melbourne Supper Club, Vic
COUNTRY RESTAURANT WINE LIST – Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld, Vic
PUB RESTAURANT WINE LIST – The Botanical, South Yarra, Vic
CAFÉ/BRASSERIE WINE LIST – European, Melbourne, Vic
CLUB WINE LIST – The Brisbane Club, Brisbane, Qld
LIST OF WINES BY THE GLASS – Est, Sydney, NSW
LISTING OF AUSTRALIAN WINE – Aria, Sydney, NSW
BEER LIST – Healesville Hotel, Healesville, Vic
APERITIF LIST – Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney
DIGESTIF LIST – Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney
READERS CHOICE AWARD – Aria, Sydney, NSW
STATE AND TERRITORY WINNERS
ACT- Rubicon, Griffith
NT – Char Restaurant, Darwin
QLD – Ortiga, Fortitude Valley
SA -Apothecary 1878, Adelaide
TAS -Me Wah, Sandy Bay
WA -Rockpool Bar & Grill, Perth
NSW -Glass Brasserie, Sydney
VIC -Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld
HALL OF FAME – PREVIOUS NATIONAL WINNERS
Pilu At Freshwater, Sydney (2011)
Rockpool Bar & Grill, Melbourne (2010)
Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney (2009)
Taxi Dining Room, Melbourne (2008)
Aria, Sydney, NSW (2003)
Circa, The Prince, Melbourne (2001
HALL OF FAME – THREE-TIME WINNERS OF A STATE OR NATIONAL CATEGORY
BEST SA LIST
Appellation, Marananga (2008, 2009, 2010)
BEST WA LIST
Friends, East Perth(1999, 2002, 2003)
Must Winebar, Highgate (2004, 2008, 2009)
BEST WINE BAR LIST
Must Winebar, Highgate, WA (2008, 2009, 2010)
BEST INTERNATIONAL HOTEL RESTAURANT LIST
Glass, Sydney, NSW (2008, 2009, 2010)
BEST PUB RESTAURANT LIST
Healesville Hotel, Healesville, Vic(2003, 2004, 2008)
Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, WA (2009, 2010, 2011)
BEST CLUB LIST
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Kirribilli, NSW(2003, 2004, 2008)
