Entries for the 31st edition of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards are scheduled to open in two weeks time on 1 April and will be available via the following link. The Awards present an invaluable opportunity for Australian wine list curators to receive recognition for, and to receive feedback on, their venue’s wine program.
“We’re delighted to be opening up entries for our 31st year of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards,” said Australia’s Wine List of the Year Founder Rob Hirst.
“The calibre of entries has continued to grow each year, and we are looking forward to wonderful results again in 2024.”
Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, first established by Rob Hirst and his late wife in 1993, is the leading yearly Awards ceremony that specifically recognises the difficult art of building and maintaining great wine lists and cellar programs. Each year, a judging panel of 30 wine industry professionals heralding from both Australia and around the world evaluate the submitted lists based on content, balance, venue suitability , presentation, and pricing. Every list gets judged by the panel twice.
“These awards play a pivotal role in acknowledging the dedication and expertise required to curate exceptional beverage lists,” said Georgia Lennon, CEO at the Drinks Association, a trade media partner of the Awards.
“We are proud to champion an event that consistently elevates standards and showcases outstanding talent within the Australian wine and beverage industry.”
Entries to the Awards will remain open until Monday 13 May. All Australian venue owners, sommeliers, and beverage directors that are responsible for curating wine lists are encouraged to enter into the competition. Included in Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards are a number of different Awards categories that aim to reflect the diversity of wine list styles. The Awards also feature an additional Wine List Service Award category for those wishing to be judged on the execution of their lists.
“The benefits for venues to take part in this competition can be invaluable in driving awareness and customers to your venue while also giving you tools to promote the hard work that goes into developing your beverage lists and cellars,” said Hirst.
“The recognition our winners received, amongst their peers and the public, following last year’s announcement was outstanding.”
Successful entrants will also benefit from extensive publicity and promotion through both the event’s media partners and through a tailored national, state, and regional media campaign. Winners will also receive a Glass Rating from judges to promote alongside their Glass Award Certificate and Glass Award Seal.
All entrants, whether successful or not, will receive extensive and valuable confidential feedback from the panel to assist in improving their wine lists.
The Australian Wine List of the Year Awards will be presented at its Sydney event on Monday 30 September. More information can be found here.
