Melbourne newcomer Circl – which only opened last year – has taken out Australia’s Wine List of the Year for 2025.
In addition to the major trophy, Circl also picked up another staggering seven category awards across the night including Australia’s Best Restaurant Wine List – City, Australia’s Best List of Wines by the Glass, Australia’s Best Champagne List, Australia’s Best Sparkling Wine List, Best Wine List Victoria, and Australia’s Best Listing of Victorian Wines.
Circl’s list also picked up the Sommeliers Choice Award which is voted upon by fellow Australian sommeliers.
Circl’s Xavier Vigier also received the Judy Hirst Award, which is awarded to the sommelier responsible for curating the winning list, an extraordinary result given Xavier won this Major Award just three years ago with his wine list at Ten Minutes by Tractor.
The venue, located in Punch Lane, classifies itself as a ‘wine-led restaurant’ offering over 150 wines by the glass to pair with its seasonal, Scandinavian-inspired food menu.
Senior Judge Andrew Graham said: “So often, the great wines of the world seem almost mythical. They’re things that drinkers dream about, but so rarely get to experience. Yet the astonishing list from Circl resets what is accessible.
“Led by a truly sublime offering of wines by the glass, which is gleefully heavy with famous ‘unicorns’, there is eye-watering depth throughout this list. You can start with the wonderfully well contextualised Champagne offering, take a flight of rare rosé and end up with a dive into magnificent rare old Australian Shiraz. What a journey!”
Other front runners at this year’s ceremony included Sydney’s Bennelong who judges applauded for its balanced list which paid homage to staff both past and present to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Brisbane’s Agnes Restaurant was also acknowledged once again for its impressive wine list with judges noting its dedication to the discovery of new Australian producers amongst respected stalwarts.
This year’s state and territory stand-outs included Bennelong (Best Wine List NSW), Gibney (Best Wine List WA), The Salopian Inn (Best Wine List SA), Fico (Best Wine List TAS), Agnes (Best Wine List QLD), and Capitol Bar & Grill (Best Wine List ACT). Gibney, Capitol Bar & Grill, and The Salopian Inn all took out these State titles for the second consecutive year.
The judging panel, led by Chair of Judges Peter Forrestal and Deputy Chairs Toni Paterson MW and Jeni Port, is made up of over 35 esteemed industry professionals from Australia and around the world. These professionals include Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and other respected industry experts spanning wine writers and commentators, wine show judges and past winners.
Chairman of Judges Peter Forrestal said: “The enthusiasm with which those involved in restaurants and, more generally, in serving the public is infectious. The imaginative quality of the food being brought to Australian restaurant tables and the wines that sommeliers have to offer their customers has never been more satisfying or stimulating.
“The education of sommeliers is at an all-time high. Documenting all this since 1994 is Australia’s Wine List of the Year with another record number of entries to affirm the quality of individual restaurants and to record excellence at the table.”
The awards program has evolved over the years to encompass categories including beer, sake and apéritifs. It also recognises bars, pubs and clubs in city and regional locations, alongside restaurants.
Highlights included:
- The Dry Dock in Sydney’s Balmain was named as Best Wine List – Australia’s Choice (Consumer) for the second-year running, which is voted upon by the general public
- Australia’s Wine List of the Year Hall of Fame member and Western Australian legend Settlers Tavern won Australia’s Best Restaurant Wine List – Country
- Western Australia’s Besk took out the award for Australia’s Best Pub Restaurant Wine List and Best Beer List
- Australia’s Best Wine Bar List and Best Aperitif List went to Where’s Nick in Sydney’s Inner West
- Australia’s Best Non-Alcoholic List Restaurant went to Sydney’s Botanic
- Australia’s Best Cocktail List was awarded to Cabarita Beach’s Paper Daisy (Halcyon House – above – which features the country’s largest selection of Australian-made gins)
- Australia’s Best Club Restaurant Wine List was Junction Moama.
National winner
Australia’s Wine List of the Year: Circl
Judy Hirst Award: Xavier Vigier
State/territory winners
Best Wine List ACT: Capitol Bar & Grill
Best Wine List NSW: Bennelong
Best Wine List Queensland: Agnes
Best Wine List South Australia: The Salopian Inn
Best Wine List: Tasmania Fico
Best Wine List: Victoria Circl
Best Wine List Western Australia: Gibney
Type of trade award winners
Australia’s Best Restaurant Wine List: City Circl
Australia’s Best Restaurant Wine List: Country Settlers Tavern
Australia’s Best Club Restaurant Wine List: Junction Moama
Australia’s Best Hotel Restaurant Wine List: Woodcut
Australia’s Best Pub Restaurant Wine List: Besk
Australia’s Best Wine Bar List (The Fiona MacDonald Award): Where’s Nick
Category award winners
Australia’s Best New Wine List (The Tony Hitchin Award): Maison Bâtard
Australia’s Best Wine List (Max 50 Wines): Apéritif & Co.
Australia’s Best Wine List (Max 100 Wines): Rizla
Australia’s Best Wine List (Max 200 Wines): A Prayer for the Wild at Heart
Australia’s Best List of Wines by the Glass: Circl
Australia’s Best Food & Wine Matching List Restaurant: Botanic
Australia’s Best Champagne List: Circl
Australia’s Best Sparkling Wine List: Circl
Australia’s Best Listing of Australian Wines: Jonah’s
Australia’s Best Listing of ACT Wines: Capitol Bar & Grill
Australia’s Best Listing of NSW Wines: The Blue Door
Australia’s Best Listing of Queensland Wines: Blackbird
Australia’s Best Listing of South Australian Wines: Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant
Australia’s Best Listing of Tasmanian Wines: The Agrarian Kitchen
Australia’s Best Listing of Victorian Wines: Circl
Australia’s Best Listing of Western Australian Wines Gibney
Australia’s Best Listing of Organic & Biodynamic Australian Wines: O Bar & Dining
Australia’s Best Listing of Museum & Rare Wines: Society
Australia’s Best Listing of a Single Region’s Wines: The Salopian Inn
Australia’s Best Non-Alcoholic List Restaurant: Botanic
Australia’s Best Aperitif List: Where’s Nick
Australia’s Best Digestif List: Society
Australia’s Best Japanese Sake List: Sake at the Rocks
Australia’s Best Beer List: Besk
Australia’s Best Cocktail List: Paper Daisy
Australia’s Best Listing of French Wines: Society
Australia’s Best Listing of Greek Wines: Olympus
Australia’s Best Listing of Italian Wines: Il Lido
Australia’s Best Listing of New Zealand Wines: Woodcut
Australia’s Best Listing of USA: Wines Cru Bar & Cellar
Best Wine List – Sommeliers Choice: Circl – Xavier Vigier
Best Wine List – Australia’s Choice (Consumer): The Dry Dock
Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards was established in 1993 by Rob Hirst OAM and his late wife, Judy, together with Tucker Seabrook. The awards honour the time, skill, and resources that go into developing the highest-quality wine lists and pay tribute to the talented sommeliers, owners, their teams and the cellars behind them.
“There is a clear interest and intent by sommeliers, venue owners and beverage managers and directors to build harmony and synergy between the menu and drinks list, and this year’s results are proof that the skill and dedication to this task is stronger than ever,” Hirst said.