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About the award

Introduced in 1998, this award recognises and outstanding contribution to promoting wine understanding and appreciation. Nominees are judged on the quality of their wine list and their ability to inspire customers to make wider and more adventurous choices in selecting wines.

Knockinaam Lodge, PORTPATRICK 

A comfortable Victorian hunting lodge in 30 luxuriant acres with its own shingle beach, Knockinaam Lodge certainly offers a taste of wild coastal Scotland for guests Tucked away in a craggy cove, the original house has morphed into a country house bolthole with a real slice of history – Churchill and Eisenhower once met to plan D-Day here. Yet 21st-century guests are treated to a much more up-to-date dining experience. An elegant double-aspect dining room with an impressive wooden fireplace makes the most of the unforgettable views over manicured lawns to the sea beyond. It all makes a comfortable setting for the daily-changing four- and five-course menus, where locally sourced produce is the backbone of the assured, classically based cooking.

Wine judging observations:

A well-structured and thoughtfully organised wine list that is easy to navigate, making it simple to find the region, grape variety or style of wine you are interested in. There is an excellent selection available by the glass, while the particularly impressive range of half bottles offers welcome flexibility for diners who want to explore more than one wine. The list features many lovely choices and generally represents very good value for money. The short introductions to each wineproducing area are also informative, engaging and helpful without being overly detailed.