Society tops national wine awards as Magma changes hands and Fowles reopens
Melbourne's Society has been named Australia's Wine List of the Year for 2026, capping a strong week for Victorian venues, with a Fitzroy North pizzeria changing hands and a bushfire-hit winery preparing to reopen its garden bar.
Society took out Australia's Wine List of the Year and three other national titles: Australia's Best Capital City Dining Wine List, Best Wine List Victoria and Australia's Best List of Wines by the Glass.
Head sommeliers Loic Avril, Yuki Hirose and Lee Sangyeop also received the Judy Hirst Award, which recognises the sommeliers behind the winning list.
Victorian venues did well across the major categories. The state's ten best wine lists were Society, Reine and La Rue, Maison Batard, Cutler, Gimlet, Ten Minutes by Tractor, Lake House, Circl, Botanical Hotel and Vue de Monde. Laura at Pt Leo Estate and Florentino were also among the category winners.
Bascetta takes over Pizzeria Magma
Away from the awards circuit, one of Melbourne's northside operators is expanding. Michael Bascetta has bought Pizzeria Magma, nine months after relaunching Fitzroy North pub The Pinnacle. Bascetta, whose background includes Bar Liberty, Capitano and Falco Bakery, will reopen the pizzeria in early October with current chef Matilde Razzoli staying on.
Magma sits on the same St Georges Road strip as The Pinnacle and will get cosmetic updates while keeping its neighbourhood character.
“We’re less than 300 metres down the road at The Pinnacle, so Magma has been our local for a long time,” Bascetta said.
“Taking it on isn’t about putting our stamp on it; it’s about being good custodians of a room the neighbourhood already loves.”
Pizza remains the focus. The trademark dough stays, with tweaks to the recipe, style and toppings. Classics such as the Menta (roasted eggplant, pecorino romano and red onion) will remain, and three pastas join the menu.
Riley King will run the bar, with a seasonal Americano and a sherry-forward martini on the cocktail list. The wine list will lean Australian, with a selection of Italian labels. The venue's long-running kids' rule also continues: a free ice cream for anyone who finishes every crust on their plate.
Pizzeria Magma is at 305 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North.
Fowles Wines reopens after bushfire losses
There is also good news from regional Victoria. Fowles Wines will reopen its Ginger Prince Garden Bar at Avenel from October 10, nine months after fire destroyed the family's home, vineyards and winery at Longwood.
The Avenel site escaped damage, but the bushfires wiped out the entire 300-acre 2026 vintage. From that date, the central Victorian cellar door will open on weekends ahead of summer, with a casual menu, drinks and lawn games.
Ginger Prince Garden Bar is at 1175 Lambing Gully Rd, Avenel.
