Australia’s best wine list will not be found in Melbourne or Sydney

Brisbane’s Cru Bar + Cellar has been crowned as having Australia’s Wine List of the Year at the 29th edition of the major industry ceremony.

Notable winners from the night also included: 

Best Wines List TAS: Fico
Best Wine List NSW: Bennelong
Best Wine List VIC: Cutler & Co.
Best City Restaurant Wine List: Bennelong
The Tony Hitchin Award (Best New List): Brunello
Australia’s Best Wine Bar List: Cru Bar + Cellar

These are serious awards and I was very disappointed that I had to withdraw from the judging panel when my duties coincided with a busy trip to Europe.

“We’ve seen the resilience of the hospitality industry in incredibly difficult times during the pandemic. Although many are still doing it tough, Australia’s Wine List of the Year in 2022 suggests that the industry is hitting back,” said chief of judges Peter Forrestal.

The most popular category entered this year was the Best List of Wines by The Glass, showcasing that more and more venues are allowing diners to experiment, learn and spend on quality wines and expanding the options for food and wine matching throughout the meal. This award went to last year’s Wine List of the Year winner Ten Minutes by Tractor.