Eight award-winning wine lists

Royal Mail Hotel Restaurant

Melbourne and regional Victorian restaurants are spoilt for choice when it comes to offering quality, locally sourced wines to match the diversity of menus and cuisines. For some restaurants, the wine is just as important as the food. Here are eight restaurants that have been recognised for their commitment to providing the very best wine lists and service.

Royal Mail Hotel – in the town of Dunkeld at the foot of the Grampians, this destination restaurant offers one of Australian’s best wine cellars with 26,000 bottles of local and imported wines and is home to the largest collection of Bordeaux & Burgundy  wine in the Southern Hemisphere. 98 Parker Street, Dunkeld, +61 3 5577 2241

Attica – Australia’s best restaurant according to The World’s Top 50, also comes with one of the country’s best wine lists for a food and wine pairing experience not easily forgotten. 74 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea, +61 3 9530 0111

Merricote – a small neighbourhood restaurant in Northcote with a big focus on wine. Winner of Gourmet Traveller Australia’s Wine List of the Year Award 2014 and 2015 with lots of local wines to try. 81 High Street Northcote, +61 9939 4762

Lake House – the jewel of Daylesford’s crown and in Gourmet Traveller’s wine list hall of fame for its stunning cellar housing more than 1000 labels. Private dinners can be organised in the wine cellar, perfect for that special occasion. 4 King Street, Daylesford, +61 3 5348 3329

Rockpool Bar and Grill Melbourne – quite rightly one of the most awarded restaurateurs in the country, Neil Perry maintains the highest standards when selecting his wine with some of the world’s rarest and prestigious wines on offer. Crown Towers Melbourne, Crown Casino, 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank, +61 3 8648 1900

Melbourne Supper Club – a favourite with locals and visitors alike for it’s comfy chesterfield couches and all night service as well as it’s ‘encyclopedic’ wine and cocktail menu. Head downstairs to the City Wine Shop for alfresco drinking at street level, or upstairs to the popular Siglo rooftop bar overlooking Parliament House for a wine with a view. 1st/161 Spring Street, Melbourne, +61 3 9654 6300

Circa, The Prince – located in the palm tree lined, beachside St Kilda precinct, two-hatted Circa has a new owner and a new lease of life with a ‘well travelled’ wine list that features a good selection from its home State. Possibly the perfect spot for a sunset moment. 2 Acland Street, St Kilda, +61 3 9536 1122

Carlton Wine Room – a welcoming neighbourhood eaterie with an award-winning wine list and friendly staff to help you navigate it. The downstairs cellar dining room is the perfect spot for private wine event. 172-174 Faraday Street, Carlton, +61 3 9347 2626