Australia's Top 55 Wine Venues for 2023 Have Been Named by the Wineslinger Awards
Normally only 50 vino spots are chosen each year, but 2023's votes couldn't be split — and 19 venues were named for the first time.
Fantastic wine bars and where to find them: that's another way of describing Australia's annual Wineslinger Awards. Each year, industry experts vote on the top spots to enjoy a drop, with 2023's list now here for your drinking pleasure. It's called a top 50, but there's 55 places on the latest rundown because the votes couldn't be split.
Created in 2018 by Rory Kent, who also founded the Young Gun of Wine Awards, the Wineslinger gongs draw upon the picks of more than 100 folks — think: sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality tastemakers and journalists — to point you in the right vino-sipping direction. Where Kent's other prize aims to recognise stellar up-and-comers, this one is about the best places to enjoy a glass or several of stellar tipples.
Nikki To.
"In the sixth year of these annual awards, it's such a thrill to once again discover so many great new wine haunts around the country," said Kent.
2023's 55 chosen venues are spread across the nation, with New South Wales accounting for the most with 15 spots. From there, 12 of Wineslinger's favourites hailed from Victoria, then nine from South Australia and seven from Queensland. Western Australia boasts six places in the ranking and Tasmania has three, while there's two from the Australian Capital Territory and one from the Northern Territory.
Don't go expecting just the usual names, either. Familiar go-tos such as Dear Sainte Eloise in Potts Point, Carlton Wine Room in Carlton (where else?) and Snack Man in Fortitude Valley have gotten the nod, as have Canberra's Bar Rochford, Launceston's Havilah, Hellbound in Adelaide, Lalla Rookh in Perth and Stone House in Darwin; however, 19 venues have also been named for the first time. They include Bar Heather in Byron Bay, Commis in Collingwood and The End in West End — and also Alt. Wine Bar in Unley, Molto Bar and Cellar in Hobart and The Corner Dairy in Perth.
Snack Man
For folks looking for your next watering hole, you have plenty of places to add to your must-visit list. Some are located in popular hotspots, others have been plying their trades for decades and others still have only just opened.
From the top 55, Wineslinger singles out a number of venues for trophies, which'll be awarded on Monday, December 5. The top gong is simply called Wineslinger, naturally, while other prizes span the self-explanatory Best New Haunt, as well as the Maverick award for a venue that pushes the limits. And, for vino aficionados at home, there's also the People's Choice prize — which is open for online votes right now, closing at midday on the day of the ceremony.
Carlton Wine Room
WINESLINGER AWARDS 2023 TOP 50:
ACT
Bar Rochford, Canberra
Rizla, Braddon
NSW
10 William Street, Paddington
Bar Copains, Surry Hills
Bar Heather, Byron Bay
Bar Superette, Merimbula
Beau, Surry Hills
Bentley Restaurant & Bar, Sydney
Caravin, Potts Point
Dear Sainte Eloise, Potts Point
Fix Wine, Sydney
Le Foote, The Rocks
Lil Sis, Chippendale
P&V Merchants, Paddington
The Sir George Hotel, Jugiong
The Wine Library, Woollahra
Where's Nick, Marrickville
Bentley Restaurant & Wine Bar
NT
Stone House, Darwin
QLD
Agnes, Fortitude Valley
Alba Bar + Deli, Brisbane
Cru Bar + Cellar, Fortitude Valley
Paloma Wine Bar, Burleigh Heads
Snack Man, Fortitude Valley
The End, West End
Zero Fox, Teneriffe
SA
Alt. Wine Bar, Unley
Good Gilbert, Goodwood
Hellbound, Adelaide
Jennie Wine Bar, Adelaide
Loc Bottle Shop, Adelaide
Silver Sands Beach Club, Aldinga
Stanley Bridge Tavern, Verdun
Stem Bar & Restaurant, Adelaide
The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale
Hellbound
TAS
Havilah, Launceston
Lucinda, Hobart
Molto Bar and Cellar, Hobart
VIC
Bar Marenda, Daylesford
Carlton Wine Room, Carlton
City Wine Shop, Melbourne
Commis, Collingwood
Geralds Bar, Carlton North
Gimlet, Melbourne
Marion, Fitzroy
Osteria Illaria, Melbourne
Public Wine Shop, Fitzroy North
Torquay Wine Store, Torquay
Union Street Wine, Geelong
Winespeake, Daylesford
WA
Besk, West Leederville
Lalla Rookh, Perth
Mayfair Lane, West Perth
Mummucc', Wembley
The Corner Dairy, Perth
Wines of While, Perth
To vote in Wineslinger's People's Choice Award before 12pm on Monday, December 5, visit the awards' website.
Top images: Agnes; Beau; City Wine Shop, Tess Kelly.
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