wine spectator's restaurant awards
WINE SPECTATOR’S RESTAURANT AWARDS Since 1981, Wine Spectator has been honoring restaurants for their extraordinary wine programs. It began 35 years ago with 13 Grand Award winners. Now, the program boasts over 3,500 award winners located in more than 70 countries.
DINING HOTSPOTS
RESTAURANT AWARDS MILESTONES 1984
1981
1988
First international Inaugural class of Grand award winners Award winners
More than 500 award winners
1985
1982
1992
1999
30th anniversary of the restaurant awards program
2005
More than 2,000 award winners
U.S. cities with the most award winners in 2016 New York: 162 Chicago: 58 Houston: 46
2011
More than 3,000 award winners
96 Grand Award winners, the most ever
Debut of Award More than of Excellence 1,000 award and Best of winners Award of Excellence
Top 100 restaurant wine lists in America introduced (through 1984)
2003
1995
Foreign countries with the most Grand Awards in 2016 Italy: 5 China: 5
2016
Average new Grand Award selection surpasses 2,000 wines
3,595 winners including 88 Grand Awards
THE PAST 15 YEARS OF AWARDS
2016 AT A GLANCE
KEY
A roundup of this year’s winners, their total wine selections and pricing policies shows that restaurant owners are increasingly attuned to offering value and diversity. At the Award of Excellence level, cellar inventories are flush at 1,900 bottles. And despite perceptions that wines in restaurants are expensive, more than 75 percent of our winners feature inexpensive to moderate pricing.
GRAND AWARD BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE TOTAL
WINNERS 88 1,093 2,414 3,595
MEDIAN SELECTION 2,500 600 205
GRAND AWARD BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
MEDIAN INVENTORY 22,500 5,500 1,900
2001 3% 14%
PRICING FOR FOOD
PRICING FOR WINE
10.8%
2011
INEXPENSIVE
2%
INEXPENSIVE
14.8%
MODERATE
24.5%
83%
Based on what a typical guest would pay at dinner for a two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.
An evaluation of the overall wine-list pricing, including the general markup on wines and the number of wines at high and low prices.
22%
MODERATE
29.1%
EXPENSIVE
EXPENSIVE
76%
55.9%
64.7%
2016 2% 30%
COUNTRIES IN 2016
67% NORWAY: 21 WINNERS
DENMARK: 12 WINNERS
Countries with 10 or more winners in 2016 are highlighted.
GERMANY: 11 WINNERS
SWITZERLAND: 23 WINNERS
POLAND: 17 WINNERS CANADA: 165 WINNERS
ENGLAND: 19 WINNERS FRANCE: 21 WINNERS
JAPAN: 16 WINNERS
U.S.A.: 2,769 WINNERS MEXICO: 59 WINNERS
CHINA: 67 WINNERS
ITALY: 19 WINNERS
THAILAND: 48 WINNERS
CAYMAN ISLANDS: 11 WINNERS
SINGAPORE: 16 WINNERS INDONESIA: 15 WINNERS BRAZIL: 21 WINNERS TURKEY: 27 WINNERS
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 14 WINNERS
AUSTRALIA: 27 WINNERS
DINING HOTSPOTS
RESTAURANT AWARDS MILESTONES 1984
1981
1988
First international Inaugural class of Grand award winners Award winners
More than 500 award winners
1985
1982
1992
1999
30th anniversary of the restaurant awards program
2005
More than 2,000 award winners
U.S. cities with the most award winners in 2016 New York: 162 Chicago: 58 Houston: 46
2011
More than 3,000 award winners
96 Grand Award winners, the most ever
Debut of Award More than of Excellence 1,000 award and Best of winners Award of Excellence
Top 100 restaurant wine lists in America introduced (through 1984)
2003
1995
Foreign countries with the most Grand Awards in 2016 Italy: 5 China: 5
2016
Average new Grand Award selection surpasses 2,000 wines
3,595 winners including 88 Grand Awards
THE PAST 15 YEARS OF AWARDS
2016 AT A GLANCE
KEY
A roundup of this year’s winners, their total wine selections and pricing policies shows that restaurant owners are increasingly attuned to offering value and diversity. At the Award of Excellence level, cellar inventories are flush at 1,900 bottles. And despite perceptions that wines in restaurants are expensive, more than 75 percent of our winners feature inexpensive to moderate pricing.
GRAND AWARD BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE TOTAL
WINNERS 88 1,093 2,414 3,595
MEDIAN SELECTION 2,500 600 205
GRAND AWARD BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
MEDIAN INVENTORY 22,500 5,500 1,900
2001 3% 14%
PRICING FOR FOOD
PRICING FOR WINE
10.8%
2011
INEXPENSIVE
2%
INEXPENSIVE
14.8%
MODERATE
24.5%
83%
Based on what a typical guest would pay at dinner for a two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.
An evaluation of the overall wine-list pricing, including the general markup on wines and the number of wines at high and low prices.
22%
MODERATE
29.1%
EXPENSIVE
EXPENSIVE
76%
55.9%
64.7%
2016 2% 30%
COUNTRIES IN 2016
67% NORWAY: 21 WINNERS
DENMARK: 12 WINNERS
Countries with 10 or more winners in 2016 are highlighted.
GERMANY: 11 WINNERS
SWITZERLAND: 23 WINNERS
POLAND: 17 WINNERS CANADA: 165 WINNERS
ENGLAND: 19 WINNERS FRANCE: 21 WINNERS
JAPAN: 16 WINNERS
U.S.A.: 2,769 WINNERS MEXICO: 59 WINNERS
CHINA: 67 WINNERS
ITALY: 19 WINNERS
THAILAND: 48 WINNERS
CAYMAN ISLANDS: 11 WINNERS
SINGAPORE: 16 WINNERS INDONESIA: 15 WINNERS BRAZIL: 21 WINNERS TURKEY: 27 WINNERS
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 14 WINNERS
AUSTRALIA: 27 WINNERS
