A regular on the rollcall of the World’s Best 50 Restaurants, Attica celebrates boundary-pushing cuisine. Likewise, its wine list is daring and challenging while keeping the closest eye on quality. Attica sommeliers Dom Robinson and Jane Lopes are the sommeliers responsible for the winning List. Ms Lopes returned to the US due to the COVID-19 lockdown but is recognised for her exceptional work in curating the wine list over the past three years and working with current head sommelier Dom Robinson on the winning list.
Alongside winning the coveted Australia’s Wine List of the Year, Attica walked away with four other awards at the 2020 Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards;
- Judy Hirst Award – sponsored by Riedel, this award goes to the sommelier/s responsible for the Wine List of the Year
- Best Wine List VIC – sponsored by Marchand & Burch Wines, all entering establishments are automatically entered in their applicable State or Territory
- Best City Restaurant Wine List – sponsored by Henschke, this award recognises the best wine list from restaurants located in metropolitan and suburban areas of Australian capital cities
- Best Non-Alcoholic Drinks List – this award covers still and sparkling waters, mocktails, soft drinks, teas and increasingly juices and infusions. Judge, Mike Bennie, comments that, in many places, juices, kombuchas and bespoke soft drinks are created by the sommeliers, in close alliance with the kitchen. They steep, juice, pickle, cure and squeeze to get their final results which can add an almost precise texture, flavour and aroma to dishes.
Judges comments:
An excellent compilation with the focus on paths less trodden. That does not mean that quality producers like Clonakilla, Yalumba, Mt Mary, Henri Bonneau and many others are not littered throughout, but there are many more obscure producers which have also earnt their positions here. Excellent by the glass, aperitifs, digestifs and more. A list which will thrill the adventurous wine explorer – Sparkling Sake, anyone?
Attica overview:
Cuisine: Australian
Sommelier/s: Dom Robinson, Jane Lopes
Number of Wines: 500
Wines by the Glass: 32
Wine Price: $$$
Address: 74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea VIC 3185
Phone: 03 9530 0111
Web: www.attica.com.au
Riedel: Celebrating 260 years in 2016, the Riedel brand is known for innovation and design. An industry leader since the introduction of grape-varietal-specific stemware in the 1980s, Riedel invests heavily in research and development to bring the very best products to market for wine and beverage enjoyment.
Henschke: Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen Henschke and his viticulturist wife Prue are acclaimed for crafting wines with a focus on purity and terroir from environmentally sustainable vineyards, including single-vineyard icons, Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone. The Henschke winemaking tradition spans six generations, from vineyards in Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and the Adelaide Hills.
Marchand & Burch: The remote Great Southern region of Western Australia is still writing its first chapter of vinous history. The book on Burgundy stretches back over centuries, and its distinction is firmly established. Marchand & Burch unites these regions to create a new perspective on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
