FAQs for Restaurant Wine List Awards New Entries
How can I find out if my materials have been received?
Upon receipt of your materials, we will e-mail you a Wine Spectator Restaurant Wine List Awards Listing Form to the e-mail address you provide on your cover letter. You must complete and return this form as soon as possible. Once we have processed your Listing Form and your entry is complete, we will send a confirmation e-mail. With more than 4,000 entries submitted each year, we cannot reply to phone calls or e-mails requesting confirmation of received materials.
Please use the payment form in the complete new entry packet (PDF).
Can I have my listing form e-mailed to me first so I can include it with my materials?
No, the Listing Form will be generated after we process your materials. Due to the volume of entries we receive, it is not unusual for you to be e-mailed your Listing Form weeks after sending your materials. For faster response, enter early. As long as your initial materials (wine list, menu, cover letter and fee) are received by the deadline, your entry will be valid.
If my wine list is in a binder, do I need to include that as well?
It is not necessary to include a binder or other cover with your wine list. Sending your list unbound will save on your postage and help will us process your materials more quickly.
I have more than one restaurant with the same wine list. Do I need to enter them separately?
Yes, new entries for each restaurant must be submitted under separate cover letters, with their own set of materials and an entry fee for each. One set of materials submitted for several restaurants will not be accepted.
Should I include copies of my lunch menu, press clippings or anything else?
No, only your wine list, dinner menu, cover letter, listing form and entry fee are required. Other materials are not reviewed by the judges and should not be sent.
Can I fax or e-mail you my wine list and menu?
Faxed or e-mailed entries are not accepted. Only mailed submissions are accepted.
If my restaurant wins an award, how will I be notified?
All award winners will be notified by mail in May, and then listed in the Aug. 31 issue of Wine Spectator. Our website's Restaurant Search database, at www.winespectator.com/restaurants, will be updated with the new winners when the Aug. 31 issue is made public. Award certificates are mailed in July.
After my restaurant wins an award, then what?
Each year, all previous award winners must resubmit their current wine list, dinner menu and entry fee, as well as an updated Listing Form and cover letter in order to be considered for continued inclusion in the Restaurant Wine List Awards program. Listing Forms and renewal notices are mailed in November each year. Renewals must be received between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1. We urge you to renew your Restaurant Wine List Award as early as possible to avoid potential problems. Please avoid the rush of submitting your entry on the deadline day.
My award certificate was lost/damaged/stolen. Can I get another?
Unfortunately, no. We do not stock copies of previous years' award certificates. The one sent to you in July is the only one printed for your restaurant.
How do I get extra copies of the August 31 issue of Wine Spectator that includes the complete listing of all the Restaurant Wine List Awards winners?
You can always order back copies of recent issues online. Order copies of the Aug. 31, 2009 issue of Wine Spectator here. Or for bulk orders of five or more copies of any August 31 issues of Wine Spectator, available back to 2000, email retailsales@mshanken.com or call 800-344-0763.
Still have questions?
E-mail restaurantawards@mshanken.com.
