Entry is now open for the SA Wine List of the Year Awards. The awards are open to all restaurants in the country, and will be judged in three geographical areas: Western and Eastern Cape; KZN; and the interior and all other provinces.
 
There will be awards for best new list, best short wine list (20 to 40 wines), medium wine list (41 to 80 wines) and long wine list (over 81 wines) as well as best list of wines by the glass.
 
Each wine list will be scored by two experienced judges according to specific criteria, and restaurants will have the opportunity to be awarded a one, two or three flute award, depending on their scores.
 
The awards are organised by Mike Bampfield Duggan and Michael Olivier of MSquared, who previously ran a national wine list competition that was restricted to merchants of a specific product. The Wine List of the Year awards came about after they recognised the need for a national open competition in which all restaurants could have their lists judged by a panel of experienced wine list judges.
 
Click here to enter.

Photograph: Dave Dugdale