Some our finest sommeliers and wine experts were on hand at the Art Gallery of NSW last night to see Melbourne’s Taxi Dining restaurant come out the big winner at the 2008 Australian Wine List of the Year awards.

Taxi received the top award for its wine list while its sommelier Lincoln Riley was named the winner of the inaugural Judy Hirst Sommelier of the Year award.

The awards were announced at a packed function presented by key partners in the award Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine and Fine Wine Partners.

Since they were first launched in 1994 the awards have aimed at rewarding the time and resources invested by restaurants around Australia to develop quality wine lists.

More than 300 restaurants, brasseries, wine bars, clubs, pubs and international hotels entered their lists in this year's Australia's Wine List of the Year Awards and were rated with one, two and three glasses.

Full list of winners:

State winners:

NSW—Rockpool, Sydney

Victoria—Taxi Dining Room, Melbourne

Appellation, Barossa Valley

Queensland—Isis Brasserie, Brisbane

Tasmania— Terrace Restaurant, Launceston

Western Australia—Must Winebar, Perth

ACT: The Ginger Room, Canberra

Sommelier of the Year, The Judy Hirst Award: Lincoln Riley, Taxi Dining Room, Melbourne

Wine List of the Year: Taxi Dining Room, ,Melbourne

Best Restaurant List: Taxi Dining Room, Melbourne

Best New List: The Tony Hitchin Award: Berowra Waters Inn, Berowra Waters, NSW

Best Regional List: Pilu at Freshwater, Freshwater, Sydney

Best Food and Wine Matching: Marque, Surry Hills, Sydney

Best International Hotel Restaurant List: Glass Brasserie, Sydney

Best Club List: Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Kirribilli, Sydney

Best Restaurant List: Taxi Dining Room, Melbourne

Best Wine Bar List: The Melbourne Supper Club, Melbourne

Best Country Restaurant: List: Lake House, Daylesford, VIC

Best Pub Restaurant List: Healesville Hotel, Healesville, VIC

Best Cafe/Brasserie List: Bistro Thierry, Toorak, VIC

Best Small List: Fino, McLaren Vale, SA

Hall of Fame inductees:

Aria (National Winner 2003)

Forty One (National Winner 1998)

Asiana, Melbourne (National Winner 2004)

Circa, the Prince, Melbourne (National Winner 2001)

Syracuse Wine Bar & Restaurant, Melbourne (National Winner 1999)

Walter's Wine Bar, Melbourne (National Winner 1996)

Friends, Perth (State Winner WA three times)