Melbourne venue Circl has been named Australia’s Wine List of the Year for 2025, securing the country’s leading award for wine list development during a ceremony at NSW Parliament House.
Now in its 32nd year, the awards recognise the work of sommeliers, restaurateurs and venue owners across restaurants, hotels, pubs, clubs and wine bars. More than 300 industry professionals attended the 2025 presentation on 29 September.
Circl’s winning list, curated by sommelier Xavier Vigier, contains 1,366 wines, including 171 available by the glass. Its depth is supported by extensive Champagne, sparkling wine, Victorian wine and rare Australian selections, with a strong emphasis on making high-end bottles available in smaller pours.
In addition to the major title, Circl received Best Wine List Victoria, Best Capital City Dining Wine List, Best List of Wines by the Glass, Best Champagne List, Best Sparkling Wine List, Best Listing of Victorian Wines and the Sommeliers’ Choice Award.
Vigier also received the Judy Hirst Award, presented to the sommelier responsible for creating the overall winning list.
State winners recognised nationally
The state and territory awards reflected a broad mix of metropolitan and regional venues:
- Australian Capital Territory: Capitol Bar & Grill, Canberra
- New South Wales: Bennelong, Sydney
- Queensland: Agnes, Fortitude Valley
- South Australia: The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale
- Tasmania: Fico, Hobart
- Victoria: Circl, Melbourne
- Western Australia: Gibney, South Cottesloe
Gibney, Capitol Bar & Grill and The Salopian Inn retained their respective state titles for a second consecutive year, while Agnes secured Queensland’s award for the third year running.
Different formats produce strong lists
The venue awards demonstrated that recognised wine programs are not limited to fine-dining restaurants. Settlers Tavern in Margaret River won Best Country or Regional Dining Wine List, while Where’s Nick in Marrickville received the Fiona Macdonald Award for Best Wine Bar List.
Woodcut at Barangaroo was named Best Hotel Restaurant Wine List, Junction Moama secured the club restaurant category and West Leederville’s Besk won Best Pub Restaurant Wine List.
Other notable category winners included Maison Bâtard for Best New Wine List, Restaurant Botanic for Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks List and Paper Daisy for Best Cocktail List. The consumer-voted Australia’s Choice Award went to The Dry Dock Public House and Dining Room in Balmain.
Apéritif & Co. also demonstrated that scale is not the only measure of quality, winning the category for lists containing no more than 50 wines with a tightly curated 49-bottle selection.
Across the results, several practical priorities stand out for operators: accessible by-the-glass options, confident local representation, clear list navigation and beverage choices for non-drinkers. The winners show that a successful wine program depends less on sheer size than on how effectively the list supports the venue, its menu and its customers.
