May 12, 2026 (Stockholm, Sweden) — The Star Wine List of the Year competition has now completed the USA leg of its global tour, with awards ceremonies in New York City and Miami attended by the wine elite. Gold Stars have been presented to a total of 24 restaurants and bars in celebration of their sommelier teams’ work in creating their wine lists.
At the New York event (the fourth edition in the wider metropolitan area), Chambers restaurant has cemented its reputation as a bastion of sustainability with Pascaline Lepeltier accepting a Gold Star in the category for the third year in a row. Coqodaq and Chez Fifi – both relative newcomers to the city’s dining scene – have proven that they are forces to be reckoned with after receiving Gold Stars for the second consecutive year. And there were accolades for world-renowned institutions Atera (two Michelin stars), Daniel (one Michelin star), Peasant and The Four Horsemen.
Over in Florida (the second time the competition has visited the state), COTE Miami continued its winning streak by taking two Gold Stars, with 2025 winners Sexy Fish Miami and Mandolin Aegean Bistro also returning with success. A strong proportion of the Florida winners were new faces to the competition, as the state’s thriving wine community continues to evolve.
The competitions’ judging panels were composed of leading international sommeliers, with Missouri-based Master Sommelier and Master of Wine Doug Frost sitting on both juries. He was joined in New York by Mikk Parre (ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and the Middle East 2024) and Yannick Benjamin (prominent local figure and co-founder of Wine on Wheels); and in Florida by Kathrine Larsen-Robert (Master Sommelier and Group Head of Wine at 67 Pall Mall) and Pascaline Lepeltier (distinguished author and sommelier).
Star Wine List is the international guide to the world’s best bars and restaurants for wine lovers, available as a website and app, while the Star Wine List of the Year awards traverse the globe from September to June each year to recognise the top wine lists in each region. The current season began in September 2025, and will have incorporated 14 territories in Europe, the Americas and Asia in the main tour, plus one digital event covering the rest of the world, before a Global Final in June 2026.
Winners in the ‘international’ categories at both the New York and Florida events will automatically be entered into the Star Wine List of the Year Global Final 2026, which will be hosted by Terra Skåne in the winemaking countryside of southern Sweden, this June.
Gold Star winners, New York:
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references
- Atera, New York City
Best Medium-Sized List
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
- Peasant, New York City
- The Four Horsemen, New York City
Best Short List
Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings
- Pinch Chinese, New York City
Best By-the-Glass List, presented by Stölzle Lausitz
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
- Benoit New York, New York City
Best Sparkling Wine List
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
- Coqodaq, New York City
Best Newcomer List
Recognises a venue that has recently opened
- Saint Urban, New York City
Sustainability Prize
Assesses the sustainable commitment of both the wine list and broader venue via a supplementary questionnaire submitted during the application process
- Chambers, New York City
Best Austrian Wine List, presented by Austrian Wine
Recognises the best list for the wines of Austria
- One White Street, New York City
Best Italian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy
- Babbo, New York City
Special Jury Prize
Rewards a wine lovers’ place that does something out of the ordinary
- Noreetuh, New York City
LOCAL CATEGORIES:
Best Bordeaux Wine List, presented by Maison Barrière
- Daniel, New York City
Best Rosé Wine List, presented by Château d’Esclans
- Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Tarrytown
Best Spanish Wine List, presented by Familia Torres
- Chez Fifi, New York City
Gold Star winners, Florida:
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES:
Best Long List
For wine lists with more than 600 references
- COTE Miami, Miami
Best Medium-Sized List, presented by Château Tours des Termes
Recognises the best wine list with 200-600 references
- The Joyce, Miami Beach
Best Short List
Recognises the best wine list with fewer than 200 listings
- Boia De, Miami
Best By-the-Glass List, presented by Lugana Wines
Recognises the best ‘by-the-glass’ list
- Bourbon Steak Miami, Aventura
Best Sparkling Wine List
Recognises the best list for sparkling wines
- Sexy Fish, Miami
Best Newcomer List, presented by Stölzle Lausitz
Recognises a venue that has recently opened
- Ezio’s Miami, Miami Beach
Sustainability Prize
Assesses the sustainable commitment of both the wine list and broader venue via a supplementary questionnaire submitted during the application process
- Krüs Kitchen, Miami
- Mandolin Aegean Bistro, Miami
Best Italian Wine List
Recognises the best list for the wines of Italy
- Casa D’Angelo Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale
Special Jury Prize
Rewards a wine lovers’ place that does something out of the ordinary
- Laurel, Miami Beach
LOCAL CATEGORY:
Best Rosé Wine List, presented by Château d’Esclans
- COTE Miami, Miami
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.
