22 Oct 2019
2023 China’s Wine List of the Year Winners Announced!
Download release here
And the winners are…….
China’s Wine List of the Year 2019 – Mainland China
CAFÉ GRAY DELUXE – The Middle House, Shanghai
AND
As custodians of this winning list, the following Awards were also announced –
China’s ‘Outstanding Sommelier’ of the Year 2019 – Mainland China
FeiFei Liu
China’s Outstanding F&B Director/Manager/Owner of the Year 2019 – Mainland China
Martin Zheng
“A superlative wine list expertly curated by Feifei Liu together with the cooking of New Yorker, Gray Kunz, make this a marvellous destination for those who love food and wine. It’s a distinctive list, clearly set apart from the norm. At its core are French wines but it covers much more of the countryside than most. Its tentacles also stretch around the world – from Alto Adige to Margaret River; from Gascony to the Lebanon. By the glass the offerings are dramatically good, even without the gems by Coravin: from Bordeaux’s Right Bank to Mendoza Malbec and a Vietti Barolo. There are wine flights to tantalise: no one in China does it better. The sommelier’s imagination is given full reign in organising the list; and the choices are thoughtful, exceptionally so. It’s a ground-breaking list”. Peter Forrestal, Co-Chairman of Judges
China’s Wine List of the Year 2019 – Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
SW STEAKHOUSE – Wynn Palace, Macau
AND
As custodians of this winning list, the following Awards were also announced –
China’s ‘Outstanding Sommelier’ 2019 – Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
Daniel Wang
China’s Outstanding F&B Director/Manager/Owner of the Year – Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
Paco Galdeano
“Set amid the opulence of Macau’s Wynn Palace, is the spectacular SW Steakhouse which bears the name of its owner, Steve Wynn, as a badge of honour. Guests enjoy a half-hourly spectacle during dinner while enjoying the best of steaks from Japan, the United States and Australia and some of the world’s finest seafood. For most, Daniel Wang’s wine list will be memorable because of the quality of its international offerings by the glass while those who win at the casino can delight in choosing from several vintages of the world’s finest: Salon, Latour, Hermitage La Chapelle, Vega Sicilia ‘Unico’, Yquem and more”. Peter Forrestal, Co-Chairman of Judges
Also announced in Shanghai tonight was a special addition to the coveted China’s Wine List of the Year Awards – Hall of Fame – Individual Award Winners –with the induction of the Awards foundation winner and long term supporter of the Awards Mr Paul Lo, Director of Food and Beverage, Lisboa Complex, Macau. As the first winner of the China Wine List of the Year Awards in 2013, Robuchon au Dome, Grand Lisboa Hotel, under Paul, then also became the first venue in greater China to be inducted into the China Wine List of the year Awards – Hall of fame – Main Award Winners.
Again in 2019 the big winners with China’s Wine List of the Year Awards are greater China’s Hospitality and Tourism Industries and greater China’s ever more discerning Consumers everywhere who benefit from the significant gains that are being achieved each year with the standard of greater China’s wine lists.
Every year the standard of the wine lists that showcase those industries and are available to those consumers continues to rise with the average score for all entrants in 2018 achieving 2.0 Glasses for the first time!
This outstanding result across all entrants and across the country underpins the growing standard of China’s Wine Lists today. So, not only are China’s best wine list getting better but the whole industry is improving – one of the ultimate goals of these Awards!
In 2019 the most popular categories entered by applicants were again Best Wine by the Glass List followed again also by Best Food and Wine Matching Wine List and Best Champagne List. Best Listing of Chinese Wines was the next most strongly supported category this year which is a great trend for China’s growing DomesticWine Industry!
2019 was also a record year for the Independent Restaurant sector across Greater China reflecting the increased focus by this category on creating outstanding wine offers for their customers and wanting to say so! Strong support also for the Best Medium List (100 wines) as well as the Best Small List (50 wines) categories – lists that the judges recognise are often harder to create well than large lists.
Finally, it’s great to hear of the impact on respective businesses that success in the Awards is bringing to those deserving of recognition and reward for the outstanding levels they are achieving.
Quote from Co-Chairman of Judges Peter Forrestal on the 2019 Awards …”The seventh annual China’s Wine List of the Year Awards reinforced in a public way the strength of the hospitality industry throughout China by focusing attention on its most enterprising sommeliers and those who organise and invest in its finest restaurants. The Awards in 2019, were dominated by Shanghai and Hong Kong although success found its way to all corners of the country. In the past year or two, what has pleased the judges most has been the increased commitment of sommeliers to wines by the glass. They have also been delighted by the way increasing numbers of sommeliers have managed to develop lists which complement their restaurant’s cuisine more completely than ever before. The work done in Chinese restaurants is particularly exhilarating”.
Quote from Co-Chairman of Judges Brian Julyan MS on the 2019 Awards …”This competition has been as close as ever and all finalists should be congratulated. As in previous years, the considerable thought and effort which has been put in to produce these excellent lists is clearly illustrated and the attention to detail well noted. Each list has its own special attributes and collectively they show a high level of understanding of the selections necessary to suit the menu of their individual restaurant as well as the needs of their customers. The majority include Traditional favourites along with some innovative and exciting ‘new kids on the block’, and the improvement in WBG options is to be applauded as is the increase in the number of Chinese options as these have a lot to offer. Well done to everyone involved”.
AWARD WINNERS & FINALISTS – 2019
China’s Wine List of the Year 2019 – Mainland China
CAFÉ GRAY DELUXE – The Middle House, Shanghai
AND
As custodians of this winning list, the following Awards are also announced –
China’s ‘Outstanding Sommelier’ of the Year 2019 – Mainland China
FeiFei Liu
The Outstanding F&B Director/Manager/Owner of the Year – Mainland China
Martin Zheng
China’s Wine List of the Year 2019 – Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
SW STEAKHOUSE – Wynn Palace, Macau
AND
As custodians of this winning list, the following Awards were also announced –
China’s ‘Outstanding Sommelier’ 2019 – Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan (sponsored by Macau Grand)
Daniel Wang
China’s Outstanding F&B Director/Manager/Owner of the Year – Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan
Paco Galdeano
CHINA’S WINE LIST OF THE YEAR – FINALISTS
CHINA’S WINE LIST OF THE YEAR – HALL OF FAME
CHINA’S WINE LIST OF THE YEAR – HALL OF FAME
CHINA’S WINE LIST OF THE YEAR – HALL OF FAME
BEST WINE LIST – EASTERN CHINA
BEST WINE LIST – NORTHERN CHINA
BEST WINE LIST – SOUTHERN CHINA
BEST WINE LIST – WESTERN CHINA
BEST WINE LIST – HONG KONG SRA
BEST WINE LIST – MACAU SRA
BEST WINE LIST – TAIWAN
BEST INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT WINE LIST
BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT WINE LIST
BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT WINE LIST
BEST CLUB WINE LIST
BEST WINE BAR LIST
BEST NEW WINE LIST– opened in last year
BEST SMALL WINE LIST– 50 wines maximum
BEST MEDIUM WINE LIST– 100 wines maximum
BEST WINES BY THE GLASS LIST
BEST FOOD & WINE MATCHING LIST – sponsored by Fun Wine
BEST CHAMPAGNE LIST
BEST SPARKLING WINE LIST
BEST LISTING OF CHINESE WINES– sponsored by Cofco Great Wall
BEST LISTING OF CHINESE RICE WINES
BEST LISTING OF CHINESE SPIRITS– sponsored by Kai Shan Chinese White Spirits
BEST LISTING OF AUSTRALIAN WINES– sponsored by Wine Australia
BEST LISTING OF FRENCH WINES
BEST LISTING OF GERMAN WINES – sponsored by Wines of Germany
BEST LISTING OF NEW ZEALAND WINES – sponsored by Whitehaven
BEST LISTING OF SPANISH WINES– sponsored by Wine from Spain
BEST SAKE LIST
BEST APERITIF LIST
BEST DIGESTIF LIST
BEST COCKTAIL LIST
BEST BEER LIST
BEST LISTING OF NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
BEST INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE WINE LIST
BEST LUXURY FINE WINE CELLAR LIST
BEST HOTEL GROUP WINE LIST
BEST ‘Wines by the Glass’ LIST in a HOTEL GROUP
BEST RESTAURANT CHAIN WINE LIST
BEST RESTAURANT WINE LIST BY SOMMELIER’S CHOICE
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Website: www.winelistoftheyear.cn
Email: awards@winelistoftheyear.com
TRADE ENQUIRIES – PLEASE CONTACT:
awards@winelistoftheyear.com for English enquiries
teresa@pinor.com.cn for Chinese enquiries
MEDIA ENQUIRIES – PLEASE CONTACT:
awards@winelistoftheyear.com for English enquiries
teresa@pinor.com.cn for Chinese enquiries
~ THANK YOU ~
On behalf of the Tourism and Hospitality Industries across greater China and discerning consumers everywhere our sincere thanks to our Partners, Supporters and Sponsors below who have made the 2019 Awards possible –
CHINA’S WINE LISTS OF THE YEAR – 2019
Mainland China
CAFÉ GRAY DELUXE
– The Middle House, Shanghai
“A superlative wine list expertly curated by Feifei Liu together with the cooking of New Yorker, Gray Kunz, make this a marvellous destination for those who love food and wine. It’s a distinctive list, clearly set apart from the norm. At its core are French wines but it covers much more of the countryside than most. Its tentacles also stretch around the world – from Alto Adige to Margaret River; from Gascony to the Lebanon. By the glass the offerings are dramatically good, even without the gems by Coravin: from Bordeaux’s Right Bank to Mendoza Malbec and a Vietti Barolo. There are wine flights to tantalise: no one in China does it better. The sommelier’s imagination is given full reign in organising the list; and the choices are thoughtful, exceptionally so. It’s a ground-breaking list”. Peter Forrestal, Co-Chairman of Judges
Hong Kong – Macau – Taiwan
SW STEAKHOUSE
– Wynn Palace, Macau
