The Star Wine List guide recognises the most interesting wine lists in the world, with several Ambiente restaurants among them
Café Savoy
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When Swedish journalist Krister Bengtsson was preparing for a trip to Berlin, he wondered where to go for truly good wine. Back then, there was essentially only one option: ask friends for recommendations. That’s how the idea was born to create a list of restaurants where you’ll find not only great food but, above all, a well-curated wine list.
“The wine list is often overlooked, even though it takes months or even years to put together. The sommelier’s personal vision and intuition play a key role here. They select wines that deserve to stand out, and thanks to that, every list is unique,” says Ondřej Pěnička, head sommelier at Café Savoy.
For wine and food lovers, the guide has served for nine years primarily as a map of restaurants worth visiting. Today, it features thousands of restaurants around the world, categorised by the number of stars they’ve been awarded.
How the stars on the map differ
A red star means that the Star Wine List ambassadors would recommend the establishment to friends without hesitation. They have also personally visited the restaurant or bistro.
“The ambassadors and judges focus primarily on whether the wine list is interesting. For example, they evaluate how much effort the sommelier puts into sourcing wines from outside wine meccas like Italy or France,” explains Ondřej. “The goal, simply put, is for the guest to leave feeling enriched.”
Establishments that submitted their wine lists for evaluation, even remotely, are eligible to receive a White Star. The judges approved the list and recommended the venue for a visit, though no one from the team has visited it yet.
The Star Wine List map is also a valuable guide for winemakers and sommeliers. Thanks to the published wine lists, they can step outside their bubble and discover new winemaking talent.
“I sometimes look to the Star Wine List for inspiration from restaurants that have two or three Michelin stars but don’t publish their wine lists online. I’m curious about what high-quality establishments are serving, and that’s how I discover winemakers we might reach out to in the future,” says Zdeněk Oudes, head sommelier at La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise and general manager of Marie B., describing another feature of the guide.
The best of the best
In addition to red and white stars, the guide also awards prizes as part of the Star Wine List of the Year competition, which selects the best wine lists at establishments around the world. In each region, the jury selects winners in ten main categories. These winners receive a gold star and advance to the global finals. Right behind them are the silver finalists, and bronze awards are also given in three basic categories.
The rankings are determined by top sommeliers and wine experts, such as Pascaline Lepeltier, Paz Levinson, Marc Almert or Arvid Rosengren.
“It’s undoubtedly a prestigious competition. The judging panel consists of top professionals who can appreciate even smaller, well-curated wine lists. It’s a new generation of winemakers and sommeliers who see more in a wine selection than the average guest,” says Zdeněk, explaining the competition’s value.
The Star Wine List Guide
The guide recognises establishments that offer excellent food as well as a high-quality selection of wines.
It marks them on the map with a red or white star. The distinction depends on whether the ambassadors visited the establishment in person or evaluated the restaurant remotely.
Star Wine List of the Year
This is an international competition for the best wine selection in a restaurant, bistro, or wine bar. Gold, silver, and, new this year, bronze stars are awarded. Categories may vary by year. The basic categories include:
- Grand Prix is the award for the best wine list in the entire competition.
- Best Long List recognises the most interesting wine list featuring more than 600 wines.
- Best Medium-Sized List must include 200 to 600 wines.
- Best Short List includes fewer than 200 wines.
- Best By-the-Glass List features the best selection by-the-glass wines.
- Best Sparkling Wine List recognises the best selections sparkling wines.
- Best Newcomer List focuses on new businesses.
- The Sustainable Wine List highlights a focus on ecology, biodynamics, packaging, or transportation.
- Best Austrian Wine List features a selection of Austrian wines.
- Best Italian Wine List features the best selection of Italian wines (for establishments outside Italy).
- Special Jury Prize is a jury award for an establishment that does exceptional work with wine.
Who you’ll find in the guide
On the map of establishments in Prague, red and white stars appear next to the Kuchyň restaurant, Marie B, and the Bokovka wine bar. In total, there are twenty-six.
In last year’s Star Wine List of the Year International Open competition, La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise won silver awards in the Austrian Wine List and Best Medium-Sized List of the Year categories.
This year, Café Savoy is celebrating three silver stars and one gold across several categories in the same competition. It was the gold award in the Best Medium-Sized List category that also propelled it to the global finals.“For me, this means that top experts have recognised my work and the dedication of our entire team. It’s another step toward introducing as many people as possible to the wines I stand behind,” says Ondřej.
