The year was 1981, wine appreciation in America was on the rise, and Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken saw an opportunity to move wine into a greater spotlight.
“I had a frustration: I would go to a lot of my favorite restaurants, and they had great food, but they really didn’t pay attention to the wine,” Shanken recounts. As a way of inspiring restaurants to dedicate more resources to their wine offerings, he created the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards.
The highly selective standards used when the program was founded remain in place today, across three award levels. To earn a Grand Award, the highest honor, a wine list will have at least 1,000 selections, although many have considerably more, but these must be of the highest caliber. There are only 63 Grand Award winners in the U.S. Three of them have maintained the award since the very first year.
Every Grand Award–winning restaurant shows devotion to its cellar, ensuring diversity in regions, styles and vintage depth as well as thoughtfully pairing with their menu. It only stands to reason that such attention to detail and quality applies to every aspect of the experience, especially the cuisine. There is no shortage of delicious food and once-in-a-lifetime meals to be had at these restaurants. In fact, when it comes to food, the U.S. Grand Award winners share a cumulative 42 Michelin stars and include some of today’s most notable chefs: Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud and Wolfgang Puck, to name a few.
These wine-loving chefs and their wine directors often pair fine cuisine with a variety of international winemaking regions, but a list can also be intricately niche, offering a breadth of diversity within a region; Press Restaurant in Napa Valley has a list of 2,700 selections made up of Napa Valley wines entirely.
Denne historien er fra October 31, 2024-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 31, 2024-utgaven av Wine Spectator.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
New Zealand's Success Story
From small beginnings, the country’s wines have ascended to global prominence
Wine Is Healthiest Choice for Drinkers
Decades of research has linked light to moderate drinking, especially of wine, to a range of health benefits.
In Pursuit of the Perfect Crust
“Dough is always the hardest challenge for any home chef,” explains chef and restaurateur Tony Gemignani. “But it’s the foundation of any great pizza.”
SEAVEY VINEYARD
In Napa’s Conn Valley, a family-run winery marches to its own drum
CALIFORNIA RHONES Show Their Range
RECENT VINTAGES DELIVER EXCELLENT REDS AND WHITES IN AN ARRAY OF STYLES
Tuscany Comes of Age
Anchored by the 2021 vintage, Tuscan reds set a new standard of quality
The Absolute Best Places to Eat and Drink in America
PROFILES OF THE 63 WINE SPECTATOR GRAND AWARD WINNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY, AS THE PROGRAM MARKS ITS 44TH YEAR
Events- A Grand Tour for Wine Spectator- a perfect day with an evening of outstanding wines.
A young couple in shorts and festival shirts sped into the ballroom of the New Orleans Marriott on a mission.
Big Wine Players Target Pinot Noir - Plenty of small winery owners are cashing out, either because they're looking to retire or they see selling as the best way to keep their label growing
Plenty of small winery owners are cashing out, either because they’re looking to retire or they see selling as the best way to keep their label growing
Restaurant Awards- Lazy Bear- Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it's so much more.
Lazy Bear bills itself as a modern American dinner party. But it’s so much more. This Mission District restaurant effortlessly strips away the formality of a multicourse dinner and replaces it with conviviality, nostalgia and curiosity. With reverence for time and place, Lazy Bear is an ode to California where guests dine in concert with the season and can explore diverse wines, including an impressive collection of older California vintages.
