Star Wine List of the Year reveals its 2026 New York winners
From Atera to The Four Horsemen, this year’s Gold Star winners spotlight the venues shaping New York’s dynamic wine scene.
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.
New York’s vibrant hospitality scene was celebrated last week at the Star Wine List of the Year 2026 awards. The event recognised the city’s leading restaurants and wine bars across 13 categories, highlighting the venues currently setting the benchmark for cellar depth, by-the-glass creativity and expert service.
Winners across the 10 international categories will now advance to compete at the Star Wine List of the Year Global Final, taking place in Sweden this June, hosted by Terra Skåne.
The awards were judged by a high-profile panel of industry experts, including Master of Wine and Master Sommelier Doug Frost, ASI Best Sommelier of Europe, Africa and the Middle East 2024 Mikk Parre, and renowned New York sommelier Yannick Benjamin, also a Decanter World Wine Awards judge.
Star Wine List of the Year New York 2026 winners.
Top cellars and by-the-glass innovators
Among the leading Gold Star winners was 2-Michelin starred restaurant Atera, which collected top honours for its extensive and meticulously curated cellar programme. Meanwhile, Benoit New York was recognised for the strength and diversity of its by-the-glass offering, proving that great wine doesn't always require pulling a cork on a full bottle.
Chambers was also highly celebrated, securing (for a third year) the Gold Star for the Sustainability Prize, a category of growing importance to both trade and consumers. Brooklyn wine destination The Four Horsemen featured prominently among the winners as well, underlining its continued influence on New York’s contemporary, low-intervention wine scene.
Other notable venues recognised across the awards included newcomer Saint Urban, New York institution Peasant and Coqodaq for its sparkling wine selection, alongside more regional category winners.
The results reflect the sheer breadth of wine experiences now available across the city, ranging from destination fine-dining restaurants to more compact, sommelier-led neighbourhood wine bars.
The diversity on offer is epitomised by Special Jury Prize winner Noreetuh, a modern Hawaiian restaurant in the East Village, offering wine lovers something out of the ordinary.
Noreetuh is 'authentic, soulful, and quietly exceptional,' said Benjamin. 'What sets this place apart is not just the wine – it is the spirit behind it.'
Precision and personality
In comments published alongside the awards, the judges highlighted both the rigorous quality and the distinct personality of the winning lists.
Alongside a strong foundation in classic regions and producers, 'New York reveals a dynamic and confident wine culture, where sommeliers embrace individuality, championing lesser-known regions and low-intervention wines with conviction,''said Parre.
Reflecting on the strength of the city's wine offerings, Frost MS MW added: 'New York does not starve for big wine lists, filled with the names of wines most of us can only dream of drinking, much less buying.'
For consumers, the awards offer a timely snapshot of where to drink wine well in New York right now, whether searching for classic fine wine vintages, grower Champagne, emerging regions or adventurous tasting flights.
Best Sparkling Wine List winner Coqodaq 'sets itself apart through clever choices as well as smart marketing, like “100 sparkling wines under $100”. Of course, you have many more gems if you choose to spend more' said Frost MS MW.
A global wine hub
The Star Wine List results reinforce New York’s position as a global epicentre for fine wine, arriving just ahead of next month’s Decanter Fine Wine Encounter New York.
Taking place in Manhattan, the event will see top producers from around the world gather for exclusive tastings and masterclasses. Among the experts involved, award-winner Chamber's Pascaline Lepeltier will co-host a sold out masterclass with Champagne Salon & Delamotte.
A full list of winners and categories is available via Star Wine List.
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