Vanessa Stoltz, restaurant manager and head sommelier at Pine in Northumberland, discovered earlier this week that she is the only sommelier in the Northeast who has been listed in the prestigious Harper’s Top 50 Sommelier list for 2026, for a third consecutive year, ranking at No. 17.
The Harper’s list showcases the rich talent within the UK’s sommelier community and serves as the ultimate recognition of excellence in this vital sector of the hospitality industry.
The judging process spans over two days and evaluates various factors, including innovation and creativity regarding the wine lists submitted, as well as a wide range of skills and activities that enhance the overall drinks offering.
Each nominee on the list was put forward by Harper’s readers and subsequently assessed by their peers and contemporaries in the drinks trade. The judges consider the nominee’s education and experience, communication skills, innovation, leadership, and vision. These criteria play a crucial role in determining the placement of each candidate in the list, which is designed to celebrate the quality and diversity of sommeliers in the UK, rather than simply serving as a ranking system.
Every entrant provides a wine and food pairing suggestion too, drawing on their chef’s current menu; this gives a snapshot both of how each sommelier works and, given the restaurant’s cuisine, helps build a more personal and rounded picture of each entrant.
Harper’s top 50 acknowledgement remarks: ‘’Alsace-born Stoltz followed in her father’s footsteps, working her way up the sommelier ladder in fine-dining restaurants in France, Germany and the UK, before landing the role of head sommelier at this Northumbrian shrine to all that’s good about British Food and wine. Sustainability is to the fore with all that Stoltz sources, with well-made, often lower-intervention domestic wines taking the lead on a European-biased list, where every bottle must come with a splash of transparency and real value. The pairing options here, folding in some great low and no options too, simply add to the overall sense of a quality operation.’’
Vanessa Stolz remarked: ‘’Making the Harper’s Sommelier list for a third year running means more to me than I can say. Wine has always been about connection for me, to place, to people, to the food on the plate, and to have that recognised alongside another listing this year is genuinely humbling. I’m so grateful to the team at Pine for giving me the space to build a list I’m proud of.’’
Sian Byerley, Pine’s co-owner and operations director, commented: ‘’Vanessa’s third consecutive year on the Harper’s list and the only sommelier to represent the Northeast is exactly the kind of recognition we hoped she’d get; she’s earned every bit of it. What she’s built here at Pine, from the wine list to the way she connects with every table, reflects the same values we hold dear as a restaurant. We’re incredibly proud of her, and this is just further proof of the talent we get to work alongside every day.’’
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