The 2023 Wineslinger Trophy Winners, by Young Gun of Wine
Article written and published by Young Gun of Wine
The 2023 Wineslinger Awards – the sixth annual edition of the wine guru’s guide to the best haunts in Australia right now – have just been announced, with the winners crowned at a trophy presentation in Melbourne at the much-loved wine and hospitality institution, Gerald’s Bar.
As voted on by around 150 of the country’s leading sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality tastemakers and journalists, the four trophies presented were the top spot ‘Wineslinger’; ‘Best New Haunt’, for the best newcomer; the ‘Maverick’, recognising a venue pushing the boundaries of possibility; and the publicly voted ‘People’s Choice’.
The trophy winners for 2023 are:
Wineslinger: Marion (Fitzroy, Victoria)
Maverick: Silver Sands Beach Club (Aldinga, South Australia)
Best New Haunt: Commis (Collingwood, Victoria)
People’s Choice: The Corner Dairy (Doubleview, Western Australia)
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“Each of these four venues bring their own unique concept to experiencing and discovering wine,” said Wineslinger founder Rory Kent.
With 19 venues from around the country new to the Top 50 in 2023, it just shows how much industry depth there is, and how many exciting things are happening across both city and regional locations all around Australia.
“These places bring joy and thrill, and a sense of discovery and adventure to wine,” continued Kent. “They’re places where we all go to discover something new. And while we’re recognising these four outstanding trophy winners right now, all these venues around Australia deserve to be celebrated equally. These are the bars, restaurants, enotecas and pubs that make our wine-drinking scene world class, and just so much fun.”
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The Wineslinger — Marion
Marion can lay reasonable claim to capturing the essence of what are, somewhat inelegantly, known as ‘barstaurants’. Perhaps this pitching of wine and food in equal measure was not necessarily the intent, but having one of Melbourne’s best-loved culinary sons orchestrating the food message was always going to draw crowds. Having said all that, with the shared resource of the flagship Cutler & Co., the wine offer has always been formidable, and deserving of just as much attention.
Penny Vine, who directs the list that runs to about 600 bins (an ever-changing 100-bottle working list sharpens the focus), with the nature of the small-batch and generally scarce bottlings that populate the list necessitating frequent dynamic change. This attitude informs the glass offer of 20-odd selections, too.
On being voted the top Wineslinger in Australia, Vine said, “It’s really incredible to find ourselves among such an amazing group of venues to be honoured with this award. To be recognised by our peers in this way means the world to us.”
“We work hard to make Marion a place where anyone can feel at home, no matter where you are on your wine journey. It’s a special place – I’ve been here since we opened and feel lucky to have watched it become this Melbourne icon. It’s incredible.”
“A hard working, dedicated team of hospitality guns, serving some of the best guests in the city,” is the magic behind Marion, says Penny Vine, who directs the wine list.