Perth restaurant scoops wine list awards

A one-year-old Perth restaurant has picked up the top gong and a record number of wins at 2013 Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards held in Sydney on Monday (29th July) evening.

The winning restaurant, Print Hall, was opened in Perth a mere 12 months ago by the Colonial Group, which also runs Melbourne's The Botanical. 

Sommelier, Daniel Wegener, moved from Sydney's Quay restaurant to head up the Print Hall wine team and pick up a record number of awards in the process, including the Judy Hirst Award, Best New List, Best Aperitif List, Best Restaurant List (Metro), Best Western Australian List and the top award, Australia’s Wine List of the Year.

Venues from around the country were honoured at Monday's presentation, with Victorian contenders strongly represented, including: 

• Lake House, Daylesford - Best Country Restaurant Wine List
• RACV City Club - Best Club Restaurant Wine List
• The Botanical - Best Pub Restaurant Wine List
• Spice Temple, Melbourne - Best Informal Dining Wine List
• Attica - Best Food & Wine Matching List 
• Healesville Hotel - Best Beer List. 

The New South Wales winners were: 

• Chiswick - Best Small Wine List
• Felix - Best Regional Wine List
• Black by Ezard - Best Hotel Wine List
• Glass - Best Listing of Australian Wine
• Love, Tilly Devine - Best Wine Bar List 

Perth's Rockpool Bar & Grill won this year's Best Wine by the Glass List and Best Digestif List.

Prizes for top lists in each state were won by: 

• Aubergine - ACT
• Char Restaurant - NT
• Aria - QLD
• The Barn Steakhouse - SA
• The Source at MONA - TAS
• Print Hall - WA
• Est - NSW  
• Attica - VIC

The Perpetual Readers' Choice Award was once again won by Sydney restaurant Aria. 

Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards was established in 1994 and is presented by premium wine distributor Fine Wine Partners and Gourmet Traveller WINE magazine.

Source: The Shout, 31 July 2013