MUST Winebar has received the State award at the 2004 Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, coordinated by Tucker Seabrook and held in Sydney last week.
The awards, which have been running nationally for 11 years, were established specifically to recognise high-quality wine lists.
The awards were judged by a panel of 12 wine professionals and the winners’ list includes up to 300 restaurants of various size, styles and cuisine types across Australia whose wine lists represent a quality worthy of commendation.
Must Winebar manager and part owner Russell Blaikie (pictured) says congratulations are in order for the wait-staff at Must, who spend a lot of time ensuring their wine knowledge was current and extensive.
“Specific acknowledgment is in order for our sommelier Emma Sputore and list consultant Paul McArdle, who took over managing the list in July this year,” Mr Blaikie says.
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In other awards, the Houghton Wine Company has received three trophies and three gold medals at the Vintage Cellars 2004 National Wine Show of Australia, held in Canberra recently.
The show is highly regarded, as eligibility for entry is determined on capital city awards – only wines that have received trophies or medals previously over the past year can enter.
Houghton won: the Wine Society trophy for best riesling (2002 vintages or older) for its 1995 Houghton Reserve Riesling; the Westende Trophy for best dry red (2003 vintage) for its 2003 Houghton Gladstones Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon; and the Canberra Times Trophy for best dry red cabernet (premium classes), also for the 2003 Houghton Gladstones Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon.
Houghton winemaker and manager Swan Valley, Ross Pamment, says the awards mark the end of a very successful year for Houghton, which won a total of 12 trophies and 19 gold medals at capital city wine shows.
