Rockpool wine list best of the best

A Perth restaurant has continued the dominance of WA eateries in the Australian Wine List of the Year awards.

It is the second year in a row a Perth restaurant has taken out the title.

Perth's Rockpool Bar & Grill topped the annual Fine Wine Partners Wine List of the Year Awards, announced in Sydney last night.

And for the first time in its 20 years, the top gong was shared. Lake House at Daylesford in Victoria also won ahead of nearly 400 lists.

Rockpool was also judged to have the best city restaurant wine list and previous national winner Print Hall offered the best digestif list.

The winning sommeliers, Rockpool's Ian Baverstock and Lake House's Stacey-Lee Edwards, received the Judy Hirst Award for managing the lists.

Chairman of judges Peter Forrestal said it was remarkable the 30 members of the international jury gave two outstanding restaurants an equal score. As a judge myself in these awards - assigned to initially assess lists in other States - I was impressed with the depth and breadth of many lists.

It was surprising and concerning, especially for the bigger producers, to see how few of the mainstream big names in Australian wines were represented.

Clearly, sommeliers are seeking wines that do not have a presence in retail but are outstanding wines.

For Rockpool and Print Hall, it continues an amazing run of success in a short time. Last year, Rockpool won best digestif list and best wine by the glass list. Print Hall won the national best overall list title.

Baverstock, who joined Rockpool 10 months ago, said his aim had been to build on the excellent list that already existed at Rockpool.