The World’s Best Wine Lists Awards, organized by the The World of Fine Wine, is one of the most prestigious and rigorous wine lists awards. On Monday 11 September 2023, World’s Best Wine Lists Awards 2023 Ceremony was held at London's Glaziers Hall. “As we marked the tenth anniversary of the awards, it was hugely encouraging to have so many of our distinguished regional winners coming from all round the world to be with us in London for our awards ceremony – not only to see which of them would collect the global titles and top trophies, but to celebrate with friends old and new the creativity and passion for excellence that continue to make wine programmes such sources of pleasure and value.My warmest congratulations to all our worthy winners, and my heartfelt thanks to all the competition participants and sponsors for making the awards possible.As we look forward to the next ten years, we have exciting plans for making the awards of ever-greater relevance for wine consumers and producers, as well as for the on-trade establishments of all kinds that we are already privileged to have with us". Neil Beckett, Editor of The World of Fine Wine and Chairman of the World’s Best Wine Lists Best Long Wine List The World’s Best Wine Lists is the first such awards program to acknowledge the crucial importance of a good wine selection regardless of size. But there is clearly the potential for greater breadth and depth in longer lists, and this category of Best Long Wine List assesses those that feature more than 500 wines (at 75cl bottle-size). Asia | Aux Beaux Arts / Imperial Court MGM Grand, MacauAustralasia | Catalina, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaEurope | Park Hotel, Vitznau, Switzerland (Global Winner)Middle East & Africa | Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa, Johannesburg, South AfricaNorth America | Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Dallas, Texas, USASouth & Central America and the Caribbean | Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant, Nassau, Bahamas Best Medium Wine ListBased on the size of the offering in order to reach a fair assessment. The category of Best Medium Wine List includes lists that feature between 200 and 500 wines (at 75cl bottle-size). Asia | Vista, Tokyo American Club, Tokyo, JapanAustralasia | Supernormal, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Global Winner)Europe | Humo, London, UKMiddle East & Africa | One & Only, Le Saint Géran, MauritiusNorth America | Atomix, New York City, USASouth & Central America and the Caribbean | Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico Best Short Wine ListShorter lists can be even more challenging to judge than longer lists. The category of Best Short Wine List includes lists that feature between 100 and 200 wines (at 75cl bottle-size). Asia | Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon Elements/ Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon IFC Mall, Hong KongAustralasia | Firedoor Restaurant, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Global Winner)Europe | 29, Istanbul, TurkeyMiddle East & Africa | Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Johannesburg, South AfricaNorth America | Atoboy, New York City, USA Best Micro Wine List The World’s Best Wine Lists recognizes excellence in even the smallest lists, those with vinous ambitions well above their size. The category of Best Micro Wine List includes lists that feature fewer than 100 wines (at 75cl bottle-size) or no more than four pages. Australasia | Tsunami, Mosman Park, Western Australia, AustraliaEurope | John's House, Mountsorrel, Loughborough, UK (Global Winner)North America | Nopa, San Francisco, California, USA Best Regional Wine List (in the region) This category of Best Regional Wine List in the Region enables the Judges to celebrate those establishments that build close relationships with neighbouring wine producers, exhibiting an intimate knowledge of the region’s history and terroir and promoting local produce. Asia | Hajime, Osaka, JapanAustralasia | Bennelong, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaEurope | La Bandiera, Civitella Casanova, Abruzzo, ItalyMiddle East & Africa | Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Johannesburg, South AfricaNorth America | Press Restaurant, St Helena, California, USA (Global Winner)South & Central America and the Caribbean | K’u’uk, Mérida, Mexico Best Regional Wine List (outside the region) Asia | 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong (Italy) (Global Winner)Australasia | Pearl Chablis & Oyster Bar, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Chablis)Europe | Britannia Hotel, Trondheim, Norway (France)Middle East & Africa | Archipel Restaurant, Constance Le Prince Maurice, Poste de Flacq, MauritiusNorth America | RPM Italian, Washington DC, USA Best Champagne & Sparkling Wine SelectionThe category of Best Champagne and Sparkling Wine List highlights lists that focus almost exclusively on this rapidly expanding range of wines or that have a particularly strong selection within a broader offering. Asia | 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong KongAustralasia | Quay, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaEurope |Park Hotel, Vitznau, Switzerland (Global Winner)Middle East & Africa | Blue Penny Cellar, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Poste de Flacq, MauritiusNorth America | March, Houston, Texas, USASouth & Central America and the Caribbean | Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant, Nassau, Bahamas Best Dessert & Fortified Wine Selection The category of Best Dessert & Fortified Wine Selection. This category acknowledges lists that have an impressive range, depth, and selection of these richly varied wine styles, which can have their place at any stage of a meal. Asia | Restaurant Petrus at Island Shangri-La, Hong KongAustralasia | Jonah's Restaurant and Boutique Hotel, Palm Beach, New South Wales, AustraliaEurope | Park Hotel, Vitznau, Switzerland (Global Winner) Middle East & Africa | Blue Penny Cellar, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Poste de Flacq, MauritiusNorth America | The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary, North CarolinaSouth & Central America and the Caribbean | Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant, Nassau, Bahamas Best Organic Wine List Asia | Grand Lisboa Palace, (Grand Buffet, Hua Ting, Mesa by José Avillez, Palace Garden, Zuicho)Australasia | Otto, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaEurope | Jack's Brasserie, Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa, Bern, SwitzerlandMiddle East & Africa | Jing Restaurant, Constance, Halaveli, MaldivesNorth America | Barcelona Wine Bar, Washington DC, USA (Global Winner) Best Sake Selection (outside Japan)The Best Sake List outside Japan category highlights the lists that focus almost exclusively on sake or have a particularly strong selection of sake within a broader offering. Australasia | Tsunami, Mosman Park, Western Australia, AustraliaMiddle East & Africa | Jing Restaurant, Constance, Halaveli, MaldivesNorth America |Sushi Nakazawa, New York City, USA (Global Winner) Best Spirits SelectionThe World’s Best Wine Lists acknowledges the exciting quality and range of spirits from all round the world, and their ability to heighten the beginning or end of a memorably special meal. The category of Best Spirits List recognizes those establishments that go beyond the rest in their spirits selection. Australasia | Society, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaEurope | Nobelhart und Schmutzig, Berlin, GermanyMiddle East & Africa | Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa, Johannesburg, South AfricaNorth America | March, Houston, Texas, USASouth & Central America and the Caribbean | Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant, Nassau, Bahamas (Global Winner) Best By-the-Glass Wine List with Coravin® By-the-glass offerings in bars and restaurants around the world have been expanding rapidly in recent years. Different technical solutions are available to support this evolution, ensuring that wines are kept in good condition down to the last glass, but above all it is the Coravin® preservation system that has radically transformed this section of wine lists all round the world. Asia | Restaurant Petrus at Island Shangri-La, Hong KongAustralasia | Society, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaEurope | The Lecture Room & Library at Sketch, London, UK (Global Winner)Middle East & Africa | Blue Penny Cellar, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Poste de Flacq, MauritiusNorth America | San Francisco Wine Society, San Francisco, California, USASouth & Central America and the Caribbean | K’u’uk, Mérida, Mexico Best By-the-Glass Wine List without Coravin® While the huge potential of the Coravin® preservation system is very widely recognized, many bars and restaurants still offer wine by-the-glass using other systems or none at all, some sommeliers having an ideological preference for seeing a particular bottle consumed all at once on a particular occasion rather than extending its life over a period of weeks or months. Asia | Imperial Court, MGM Grand, MacauAustralasia | Chin Chin, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaEurope | VIN Bjørvika, Oslo, Norway (Global Winner)North America | The Barrel Room, San Francisco, USA Best Wine Bar ListWine bars around the world are a precious part of today’s wine culture, even if it is hard to reach a hard and fast definition, and even if the boundaries between bars and restaurants may often be blurred. The World’s Best Wine Lists adopts as a working definition of wine bar an establishment where it is possible and usual to order only a glass or two of wine, and where the focus is squarely on the wine list. Australasia | Marion Wine, Fitzroy, Victoria, AustraliaEurope | VIN Bjørvika, Oslo, NorwayNorth America |Wine Bar George, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA (Global Winner) Best Hotel Wine List Many of the world’s best restaurants are in leading hotels around the world, with settings as diverse as beachside villas, wildlife lodges, or snow-covered mountainside chalets. The Best Hotel Wine List category is dedicated to these. Asia | Restaurant Petrus at Island Shangri-La, Hong KongAustralasia | Jonah's Restaurant and Boutique Hotel, Palm Beach, New South Wales, AustraliaEurope | Park Hotel, Vitznau, SwitzerlandMiddle East & Africa | Archipel Restaurant, Constance Le Prince Maurice, Poste de Flacq, MauritiusNorth America | The Little Nell, Aspen, Colorado, USA (Global Winner)South & Central America and the Caribbean | Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant, Nassau, Bahamas Most Original Wine ListThe Most Original Wine List category showcases lists that have an unusual selection of wines or a particular personality that shapes them. The successful lists demonstrate not only a profound understanding of the wines, but a clear vision reflecting the experience and passion of their creators. Asia | Mesa by José Avillez, Grand Lisboa Palace, MacauAustralasia | Supernormal, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaEurope | Tasca d'Almerita, Capofaro, Salina, ItalyMiddle East & Africa | Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Johannesburg, South AfricaNorth America | Contento, New York City, USA (Global Winner)South & Central America and the Caribbean | Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico Best Designed Wine ListThe categories for the first few editions of the World’s Best Wine Lists centered on the ambition, innovation, and passion of the restaurateur or sommelier in selecting interesting and varied wines. It soon became apparent to the Judges, however, as they studied hundreds of lists every year, that one aspect that significantly affected the ability of a guest to enjoy the process of wine selection was the appearance, clarity, and navigability of the wine list itself. All too often, design is the Achilles heel of otherwise good or great lists. Asia | Kuda Villingili, Malé, MaldivesAustralasia | Society, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaEurope | 29, Istanbul, TurkeyMiddle East & Africa | Cyann Restaurant, Mahé, SeychellesNorth America | March, Houston, Texas, USA (Global Winner) South & Central America and the Caribbean | Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant, Nassau, Bahamas Best New Wine List Each year new restaurants become established and with them new wine lists are submitted for assessment. The Judges of the World’s Best Wine Lists have decided that, as new cellars take some time to be developed, it would be fair to establish a category for the Best New Wine List. Australasia | Society, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Global Winner)Europe | Humo, London, UKNorth America | Naro, New York City, USA Best Value Wine List It is not possible to put a price on the joy of visiting some of the best restaurants and bars in the world, whether they are large or small, city centre or local neighbourhood establishments. However it is possible to make some assessment of the value for money represented in different wine lists. Europe | La Bandiera, Civitella Casanova, Abruzzo, Italy (Global Winner)Middle East & Africa | Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa, Johannesburg, South AfricaNorth America | Terzo, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Best Cruise Line / Ship Wine List in the World 2023The World Residences at Sea (Global Winner)MSc World Europa The Wine List of the Year 2023Europe | Park Hotel, Vitznau, Switzerland (Global Winner) Champions' League Winners Champions' League Best By-the-Glass Wine List 2023Park Hotel Vossevangen Champions' League Best Champagne & Sparkling Wine List 2023Domaine Les Crayères Champions' League Best Dessert & Fortified Wine List 2023Robuchon au Dôme Champions' League Best Spirits List 2023The Barn at Blackberry Farm Champions' League Best Overall Wine List 2023Eleven Madison Park