Mark Baulderstone
Managing Director of Riedel Australia and New Zealand In every industry, innovation is key. Whether medicine, engineering, or hospitality, you won’t find a successful business that isn’t consistently striving for the new and exciting. They set out to start trends, not follow them.
This is something that the Riedel family have been doing for decades. Eighth generation Walter engineered a glass screen that was twice the size of anything previously created; ninth generation Claus discovered that the size and shape of your glass impacts your perception of what’s within; 10th generation Georg began using revolutionary machine techniques to produce at the same quality as handmade glassware, without the cost; and 11th generation Maximilian lopped stems off wine glasses and turned decanters into works of art. The Riedel company thrives on innovation, and as a result we have remained at the top of our field since we first began producing grape varietal specific glassware.
The decision to sponsor the Wine List of the Year Awards was an easy one for us. By definition, the Awards celebrate innovation and passion. They commend ingenuity, precision, and balance. They find the venues that stand out, whether they’re offering their customers a 100-page tome or a small selection served in a hole-in-the-wall with seating for 12. And undoubtedly, they reward those who stay one step ahead of everyone else.
Through my travels around the world, I am constantly reminded just how well we do wine service in Australia. I’ve been in the industry for 20 years and have seen such remarkable progress and developments. It is a testament to the people who work in the industry, and the constant drive they have to improve the standard. From varietal specific glassware to the correct serving temperature of wine, it’s all about the consumer experience and constantly over-delivering. We are, as a company, as focused on this as the recipients of these awards. That’s the way innovation works; you start with a crazy idea, want to push the boundaries, and you don’t stop until you find someone else who shares the same passion for it and the idea grows. It is a real pleasure to be a part of it.
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees of this year’s Awards, for taking chances, pushing boundaries, and remaining committed every step of the way.

Judy Sarris Editor,
Gourmet Traveller WINE During my travels, I’ve met people who collect everything from corkscrews to garden gnomes, but I confess my obsession is wine lists. I like to pore over their pages pondering the possibilities to drink, and then I like to keep the best ones in my collection for future reference – never removing one from a restaurant without permission, I hasten to add.
Over the years, it’s become apparent to me that wine lists are also an amazing barometer for trends in wine – indicating what sommeliers favour in a particular year, emerging regions making their mark and what imports are hitting our shores. A decade ago, who would have thought we’d have lists containing intriguing wines from such places as Croatia, Romania and Georgia or Swartland in South Africa? Closer to home favoured regions continue to shift with places like Tasmania, Orange, Beechworth and the Adelaide Hills hitting their straps, and then there’s the organics, biodynamics and those amber wines. As the wine scene in Australia continues to evolve, it’s true that our sommeliers are often the first to source the most exciting wines available providing us all with the chance to further our vinous education and enjoyment. It’s for this reason that, once a year, we celebrate their achievements through Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards held in conjunction with drinks Association and Riedel. Here you’ll find the 2015 winners from every state and category, those who have achieved prestigious Hall of Fame status by either winning the Top Award once or collecting the same State or Category gong over three years, and reviews for all the worthwhile bars and restaurants that achieved glass ratings. Our hearty congratulations to them all and our thanks to the fleet of dedicated expert judges, led by chairman Peter Forrestal, and longtime sponsor Riedel who made the awards possible.

Rob Hirst Awards Founder and Chairman, Fine Wine Partners Now in their 22nd year, Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards were introduced to recognise and reward those restaurants, hotels and clubs that are delivering outstanding wine service to Australian consumers. They also serve as a vehicle to encourage investment in the people and cellars that are required to deliver winning results in these Awards.
Today we are blessed with a vibrant hospitality and tourism industry that provides some of the most exciting food experiences anywhere in the world. It is great to see the wine offerings improving to match. According to a recent world survey, collectively Australia’s wine lists are, on a per capita basis, arguably the best in the world.
The major beneficiaries of this improvement are the ever more discerning diners and, of course, fine wine producers from across the world.
Australia’s diners seek easy-to-navigate lists of excellent wines, well suited to a restaurants’ cuisine and at a range of prices to match their budget. The producers of the finest wines revel in an environment in which their products have been carefully selected on the basis of their quality and suitability and are showcased by an increasingly knowledgeable body of sommeliers.
Our judges are very conscious that the vast majority of the wines consumed locally are Australian. With these wines now sitting comfortably along side the best in the world, the judges believe that lists that stray too far towards exotic imports are no longer doing a service to their customers.
2015 is an exciting year as it heralds the addition of a new partner in these Awards, The Drinks Association, who join us together with our long-term partner, Gourmet Traveller WINE.
On behalf of Australia’s vibrant hospitality and tourism industry and discerning wine lovers and diners, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the sponsors and supporters of the Awards for making them possible. Finally, to all winners this year – of awards and glass-ratings alike – congratulations to you all!

Sandra Przibilla CEO,
The Drinks Association The Drinks Association is thrilled to be the Trade Communications Partner for Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards in 2015. As the leading membership body providing services and essential information to the drinks trade industry, it seemed appropriate to align ourselves with these prestigious and long-running awards; we believe that the more educated and informed the trade is, the better quality service and experience they can provide to their customers. Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards encourages the trade to reflect on their work and continue to develop their skills year on year, and it is this drive for achievement that makes them so successful.
Celebrating and rewarding our hard-working industry is something we are passionate about, and we would like to thank the 2015 Awards team for giving us the opportunity to be involved in such an important initiative. We are proud of the level of commitment the Australian drinks trade brings to their roles, and look forward to celebrating the 2015 winners – and beyond.