Four restaurants earned the highest honor in Wine Spectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards program this year, joining the list of Grand Award winners. Addison in San Diego, Blantyre in Lenox, Mass., Joël Robuchon Restaurant in Las Vegas and Wild Ginger in Seattle have ascended to the top level of the awards program, with superior selections of wines from the finest producers, appellations and vintages. All four are honored in Wine Spectator's Aug. 31 issue, arriving on newsstands soon.
Sommelier Harley Carbery oversees the Grand Award-winning wine list at Joël Robuchon Las Vegas.
The four restaurants' wine lists range in style from the traditional deep verticals of Bordeaux and California Cabernets found at Blantyre and Joël Robuchon to the serious study of food-friendly varietals such as Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir found at Addison and Wild Ginger. Despite their stylistic differences, all four restaurants offer wines from the world's best winemakers, supported by flawless service and refined cuisine.
Sommelier Luc Chavalier, chef Christopher Brooks and wine director Christelle Cotar stand behind Blantyre owner Ann Fitzpatrick Brown.
The 2009 Restaurant Wine List Awards has a total of 3,845 winners. Joining the new Grand Award winners are 68 other restaurants that successfully renewed their Grand Awards. Another 816 restaurants earned the Best of Award of Excellence, the most ever since the program's inception in 1981, and 2,957 restaurants earned the program's basic award, the Award of Excellence. All award winners are recognized in the Aug. 31 issue of Wine Spectator.
Chef Nathan Uy's Asian cuisine pairs with wine director Ole Thompson's selections at Rick and Ann Yoder's Wild Ginger.
Wine Spectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. The tiers range from the Award of Excellence, given to lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style, to the Best of Award of Excellence, winners of which generally include on their wine lists several hundred listings, including vertical depth in top producers, to the Grand Award, given to restaurants with the world's most serious wine programs.
