July 13, 2021
Wine Spectator releases Charlotte restaurant awards
Not all restaurants could justify the expense, however
Each year, national wine publication Wine Spectator releases its list of restaurants with the best wine lists in the country. The awards are broken down into three award levels: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence, and Grand Award Winner. Year after year, many of the same restaurants in Charlotte make the list. However, the list can be deceiving — while it contains some of the best wine selections in the city, the list is based on restaurants that pay to apply for the designation and not independent research. Generally, the application fee nears $500, though the publication offered a discounted rate this year.
One glaring omission from this year’s list is The Fig Tree Restaurant, which had been on the list for more than a decade, earning a Best of Award of Excellence. This year, however, with restaurants struggling during the pandemic, Greg and Sara Zanitsch decided not to apply.
“Being that it was in February and we were still at 50 percent, it seemed like an unnecessary expense,” Greg Zanitsch says. “I am a 20-year-plus subscriber to Wine Spectator and may apply in the future, but in 2021, I did not see the value to the cost.”
In their application to the contest, restaurants must submit their full wine list with prices, as well as details about wine storage, inventory, pricing, and menus.
Many of the same names from the 2020 awards are present on this year’s list, including Mama Ricotta’s as an Award of Excellence winner. The wine program is managed by owner Frank Scibelli, and focuses on affordable Italian wines.
“The award is a nice reminder to guests that we are consistently working to update and curate our wine list,” Rémy Thurston, the restaurant group’s marketing director says.
The McNinch House earned its tenth year in a row on the list.
“Our guests appreciate our extensive wine list and know our wine steward Anthony Wesley is always available to expertly guide them towards wines that balance with the foods’ ingredients while also accounting for personal preferences,” says owner Ellen Davis.
Charlotte’s highest awards are Best of Award of Excellence designations. Peppervine, BLT Steak, Ruth’s Chris, Barcelona Wine Bar, and Del Frisco’s earned a Best of, as did Belmont’s The String Bean. Other Award of Excellence winners are The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s, Chima, Morton’s, Village Tavern, The Palm, and The Pump House in Fort Mill. Explore the full list of winners here.
If you’re seeking the city’s best restaurants for wine, you can always use our restaurant finder’s “Good For” drop-down menu and select wine lovers to see our top picks for wine drinkers.
