The Star Wine List of the Year competition will return to Japan for the second year running in April 2026, with an awards ceremony at ProWine Tokyo. An esteemed panel of judges has just announced its finalists, who are all welcome to attend the event to discover who will win this year’s Gold Stars.
March 12, 2026 (Stockholm, Sweden) — The Star Wine List of the Year tour traverses the globe each year, in an awards season that spans September to June. After making its Japanese debut in 2025, the competition will once again stop in Tokyo, with the winners of Star Wine List of the Year Japan 2026 set to be announced at a ceremony during ProWine Tokyo, on 15th April.
Finalists have now been decided by the competition’s jury panel, which includes Richard Hemming (Master of Wine), Toru Takamatsu (Master Sommelier), Paz Levinson (ASI Best Sommelier of Americas 2015) and Mikk Parre (ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and Middle East 2024). Winners in each of the 13 categories will receive a Gold Star, with runners-up receiving Silver Stars.
Winners in the 10 categories classed as ‘international’ will automatically be entered into the Star Wine List of the Year Global Final, which will be hosted by Terra Skåne in southern Sweden, in June 2026.
Finalists:
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references
- Apicius, Tokyo
- Bulgari Il Ristorante Niko Romito, Tokyo
- Legrand Filles & Fils, Tokyo
- NéMo, Tokyo
- Restaurant Ryuzu, Tokyo
- Sézanne, Tokyo
Best Medium-Sized List, presented by Dreissigacker
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
- CYCLE, Tokyo
- Esterre, Tokyo
- Fujimaru Asakusabashi, Tokyo
- Gyoza Bar Chaozu, Tokyo
- Hyakuyaku by Tokuyamazushi, Tokyo
- Jean-Georges at The Shinmonzen, Kyoto
- Kiyosumi Shirakawa Fujimaru Winery, Tokyo
- Komorebino, Kyoto
- Maz, Tokyo
- Nogizaka Shin, Tokyo
- Raindrop, Osaka
- Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery, Osaka
Best Short List
Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings
- Bianca Omakase, Niseko
- Bistro YOSHIMICHI, Tokyo
- Downtown, Okinawa
- Kagaribi, Nagano
- La Vigne Dining Fûdo, Nagano
- Le Bistro Tokyo, Tokyo
- Le Chat Noir, Osaka
- Lilt Coffee&Wine Stand, Sendai
Best By-the-Glass List
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
- Esterre, Tokyo
- Gyoza Bar Chaozu, Tokyo
- Hajime, Osaka
- Izakaya Vin, Tokyo
- Lilt Coffee&Wine Stand, Sendai
- Maz, Tokyo
- NéMo, Tokyo
- Wine & Tempura Araki, Fukuoka
Best Sparkling Wine List
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
- Bistro Champagne, Osaka
- Downtown, Okinawa
- Gyoza Bar Chaozu, Tokyo
- Hyakuyaku by Tokuyamazushi, Tokyo
- Legrand Filles & Fils, Tokyo
- NéMo, Tokyo
- Raindrop, Osaka
- Restaurant Ryuzu, Tokyo
- Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery, Osaka
- Wine & Tempura Araki, Fukuoka
Best Newcomer List
Recognises a venue that has recently opened
- mærge, Tokyo
- Pompette, Osaka
- Raindrop, Osaka
Sustainability Prize
Assesses the sustainable commitment of both the wine list and broader venue via a supplementary questionnaire submitted during the application process
- CYCLE, Tokyo
- Fujimaru Asakusabashi, Tokyo
- Hajime, Osaka
- La Vigne Dining Fûdo, Nagano
- Raindrop, Osaka
Best Austrian Wine List, presented by Austrian Wine
Recognises the best list for the wines of Austria
- Bacar, Naha
- Ginza Soseki, Tokyo
- Komorebino, Kyoto
- Le Chat Noir, Osaka
- NéMo, Tokyo
- Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery, Osaka
Best Italian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy
- Bacar, Naha
- Bulgari Il Ristorante Niko Romito, Tokyo
- Fujimaru Asakusabashi, Tokyo
- Kiyosumi Shirakawa Fujimaru Winery, Tokyo
- Raindrop, Osaka
- Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery, Osaka
- Wine & Tempura Araki, Fukuoka
Special Jury Prize
Rewards a wine lovers’ place that does something out of the ordinary
- Île de Colline, Tokyo
- Komorebino, Kyoto
- Maz, Tokyo
- Tinc gana, Tokyo
LOCAL CATEGORIES:
Best Bordeaux Wine List, presented by Château Tour des Termes
- Apicius, Tokyo
- Breeze of Tokyo, Tokyo
- Cellar Door Aoyama, Tokyo
- CYCLE, Tokyo
- Esprit C. Kei Ginza, Tokyo
- Esterre, Tokyo
- Izakaya Vin, Tokyo
- Legrand Filles & Fils, Tokyo
- Restaurant Ryuzu, Tokyo
- Sézanne, Tokyo
Best California Wine List, presented by Robert Mondavi Winery
- Breeze of Tokyo, Tokyo
- Dominique Bouchet Le RESTAURANT, Kyoto
- Esterre, Tokyo
- Île de Colline, Tokyo
- Les Souvenirs, Osaka
- mærge, Tokyo
Best Japanese Wine List, presented by Craft Wine Shop
- Wine & Tempura Araki, Fukuoka
- CYCLE, Tokyo
- Fujimaru Asakusabashi, Tokyo
- Hajime, Osaka
- Kiyosumi Shirakawa Fujimaru Winery, Tokyo
- Komorebino, Kyoto
- La Vigne Dining Fûdo, Nagano
- Lilt Coffee&Wine Stand, Sendai
- Raindrop, Osaka
- Restaurant Ryuzu, Tokyo
- Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winery, Osaka
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 a Global Final each summer.
