On Monday, 10 November 2025, Star Wine List hosted its inaugural Inspiration Day event in Stockholm. Headline speakers included Jancis Robinson MW, Andreas Rosendal MS and three Gold Star winners from this year’s Star Wine List of the Year Sweden awards. Wines were poured by a select group of partners during a walk-around tasting.
"After more than 50 events focusing on our wine list awards around the world, we were proud to welcome Jancis Robinson to our very first Inspiration Day. Our aim with the day was to inspire sommeliers, trade and wine lovers in the Nordics with great people, interesting discussions, top wines and the chance to network across borders,” said Krister Bengtsson, founder and publisher of Star Wine List.
Often referred to as the Michelin guide for wine, Star Wine List utilised its international network of wine experts to present its first Inspiration Day in Stockholm last week. Guests included professionals from the wine and hospitality industries alongside consumer enthusiasts, all treated to an inspiring line-up of speakers who shared their insights via masterclasses, panel discussions, and interviews. Visitors travelled from across Europe to join the event.
Simultaneously, it was an opportunity to network and sample the excellent wines of Star Wine List’s event partners with an ongoing walk-around tasting.
The guest of honour was world-renowned wine writer and Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, who was interviewed about her 50-year career and 25 years of her website, JancisRobinson.com, by Star Wine List’s editor, Rachel Fellows. Jancis journeyed to Stockholm specifically for this event, her first visit to the country in nearly 20 years.
To begin the day, Sweden’s first Master of Wine, Andreas Rosendal, led a masterclass in blind tasting, teaching attendees the tricks that helped him pass the notoriously difficult exam. That was followed by a panel of Gold Star winners from this year’s Star Wine List of the Year Sweden awards, talking about how they created their industry-leading wine programmes. The panel included Rubén Sanz Ramiro (PM & Vänner, Växjö), Alexandra Karosis (Stockholm Stadshotell, Stockholm), and Anton Hansson (Bar Nacka, Stockholm).
In the first of what is set to be a regular event series, which will pop up around the globe, the Star Wine List team took great delight in sharing these insights, ideas and, naturally, some excellent wines, with readers and industry colleagues who travelled from all over the world to celebrate wine in all its forms.
About Star Wine List
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. Its highly anticipated awards events recognise excellence in the wine and hospitality industries, and culminate in an International Final each summer.
Photos: All photos by Petter Bäcklund