February 6, 2026 (Stockholm, Sweden) — Often referred to as the Michelin guide for wine, Star Wine List ranks restaurants and bars around the world based on their wine offerings. The Star Wine List of the Year awards go one step further, and aim to celebrate the work of the sommelier teams who put these wine programmes together. The third French edition of this competition will take place in March 2026, and the esteemed judging panel has just announced its finalists.
The winners of Star Wine List of the Year France will be revealed at an awards ceremony in Paris, on 9th March 2026, presented by Star Wine List’s Founder Krister Bengtsson and newly appointed Paris Ambassador Alicia Dorey. Winners in each of the competition’s 10 categories will receive a Gold Star, with runners-up receiving Silver Stars.
The French finalists were decided by three renowned international sommeliers: Pascaline Lepeltier (named Best Sommelier of France, 2018; Beverage Director of Chambers, in New York), Kathrine Larsen-Robert (Master Sommelier; Head of Wine, Europe at 67 Pall Mall in London), and Pierre Vila Palleja (runner-up in the Best Sommelier of France competition in 2016 and 2018; Star Wine List’s existing Paris Ambassador). The shortlisted venues span the length and breadth of the country, and include high-profile winners from previous years such as Maison Pic (Valence), La Table de Yoann Conte (Veyrier du Lac), La Régalade (Clermont-Ferrand) and, in Paris, Le Taillevent, Les Résistants – La Table, Géosmine and Dame Restaurant.
This season’s Star Wine List of the Year tour began in September 2025 and will have incorporated 14 stops in various territories around the world by the time it concludes, in June 2026. The grand finale will be the 2026 Global Final – one final contest for winners of any ‘international’ categories in the regional competitions. In France, nine out of the 10 categories are classed as ‘international’.
Finalists
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references
- Aux Quatre Coins du Vin, Bordeaux
- Chablis Wine Not, Chablis
- Géosmine, Paris
- Hôtel des Bains, Charavines
- L’Arche des vins, Beaune
- La Cuverie by Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne-Romanée
- La Régalade, Clermont-Ferrand
- La Table de Yoann Conte, Veyrier du Lac
- Le Bout du Monde, Beaune
- Le Georges at Grand Monarque, Chartres
- Le Taillevent, Paris
- Les Clefs d’Argent, Mont-de-Marsan
- Maison Pic, Valence
Best Medium-Sized List, presented by Joseph Phelps
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
- Baca’v Paris par Gilles Choukroun, Paris
- Brasserie du Théâtre, Bourg-en-Bresse
- Cave Pétillance, Paris
- Hôtel le Provençal – Restaurant La Rascasse, Hyères
- L’Epicurien, Colmar
- L’Hydropathe, Caen
- La Table de La Butte, Plouider
- La Table Floralie, Aix-les-Bains
- Le Saint Sebastien, Paris
- Quille, Cannes
- Restaurant Ciccino, Marseille
- Table – Bruno Verjus, Paris
Best Short List
Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings
- Bel Ami, Lyon
- Bonhomme resto, Paris
- Dame Restaurant, Paris
- Ja’ayl, Fourques-sur-Garonne
- l’Âme Sœur, Lyon
- La Rotonde, Nice
- Les Amoureuses, Paris
- Les Résistants – La Table, Paris
- Restaurant Janine, Paris
Best Sparkling Wine List
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
- Arbane, Reims
- Bubble Bliss, Paris
- Bvlgari Il Ristorante – Niko Romito Paris, Paris
- Cave Pétillance, Paris
- La Table de Yoann Conte, Veyrier du Lac
- Le Bout du Monde, Beaune
- Le Chantecler, Nice
- Le Taillevent, Paris
- Le Wine Bar by Le Vintage, Reims
- Les Parcellaires, Annecy
- Maison Pic, Valence
- Restaurant RATN, Paris
Best By-the-Glass List
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
- Au Bon Coin, Wintzenheim
- Baumanière 1850 / Le Strato, Courchevel
- Château de la Chèvre d’Or, Èze
- La Table de Yoann Conte, Veyrier du Lac
- Le Cercle des Arômes, Colmar
- Le Taillevent, Paris
- Les 110 de Taillevent Paris, Paris
- Les Parcellaires, Annecy
- Maison Pic, Valence
- Un Cantalou à Strasbourg, Strasbourg
Best Newcomer List
Recognises a venue that has recently opened
- Babi, Paris
- Bistrot Cul Sec, Bordeaux
- Dialogues, Biarritz
- Gabarre, Bordeaux
- Gencel Cave & Bar à Vins, Cannes
- Josie par Rosette, Clichy
- L’Asphodèle, Ploemeur
- Noé, Paris
- Quille, Cannes
- Restaurant Ciccino, Marseille
Sustainability Prize
Assesses the sustainable commitment of both the wine list and broader venue via a supplementary questionnaire submitted during the application process
- Chez Eugène, Paris
- Freia, Nantes
- L’Asphodèle, Ploemeur
- La Table de La Butte, Plouider
- Les Résistants, Paris
- Un Cantalou à Strasbourg, Strasbourg
Best Italian Wine List, presented by Ceretto
Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy
- Aux Quatre Coins du Vin, Bordeaux
- Bvlgari Il Ristorante – Niko Romito Paris, Paris
- L’Arche des vins, Beaune
- La Table de Yoann Conte, Veyrier du Lac
- Le Chantecler, Nice
- Le Taillevent, Paris
- Restaurant Ciccino, Marseille
- Tentazioni, Bordeaux
Special Jury Prize
Rewards a wine lovers’ place that does something out of the ordinary
- 228 Litres, Paris
- Bistrot Cul Sec, Bordeaux
- La Maison des Beaujolais, Belleville-en-Beaujolais
- Le Bon Georges, Paris
- Le Cercle des Arômes, Colmar
- Resto-Zinc, Paris
- Ô Château, Paris
LOCAL CATEGORY:
Best Rosé Wine List, presented by Château Galoupet
Rewards the strongest rosé section
- Géosmine, Paris
- Hôtel des Bains, Charavines
- Le Chantecler, Nice
- Le Taillevent, Paris
- Le Zinc, Grenoble
- Les Clefs d’Argent, Mont-de-Marsan
More information on Star Wine List of the Year France 2026
About Star Wine List
Star Wine List is the international wine lovers’ guide to great wine bars and restaurants. Available as an app and at starwinelist.com, it was launched in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017, and is now live in more than 45 countries. All venues are selected by top wine professionals for the quality of their wine programmes.
The Star Wine List of the Year competition celebrates the wonderful wine lists of the world and the dedicated sommelier teams who create them. Since its inception in 2018, this global tour has evolved to cover numerous territories. Its highly anticipated awards events recognise excellence in the wine and hospitality industries, and culminate in an International Final each summer.
