Wine lists are a labor of love, reflecting passion at every level—from the winemakers to the sommeliers to the restaurant owners. Hard work goes into curating wine selections that align with the restaurant’s cuisine, pricing and atmosphere, as well as the desires of all its customers. It takes a special level of dedication for a restaurant to reach the pinnacle of excellence with its wine list, cellar and staff.
This year, four dining destinations have accomplished just that, earning Wine Spectator’s Grand Award—the world’s highest honor for a restaurant wine program—and the global recognition that comes with it.
Joining 92 other restaurants that hold this prestigious award, the four dining destinations that make up the Grand Award “Class of 2024” offer unique wine lists, unparalleled service and their own points of view on the wine world:
• Grasing’s in Carmel-by-the-Sea brings wine excellence to a small California coastal town, offering over 3,000 selections to its diners.
• Highlighting the great wines of Burgundy, Le Bistro de l’Hôtel in the city of Beaune has become a jewel in one of the most popular wine-tourism destinations in France.
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/ns-grand-award-hotel-beaune-062024_1600.jpg] [credit= (Evan Sung)] [alt= Two Le Bistro de l’Hôtel sommeliers holding bottles in front of the entrance to La Cave][end: article-img-container]
• Evoking a sophisticated dinner party in the heart of San Francisco, Lazy Bear tells a story deeply rooted in the seasons and in California wine history.
• Honoring traditional Portuguese wines and cuisine with a modern gastronomic spin, The Yeatman becomes the first Grand Award winner in Portugal.
“The Wine Spectator Grand Award is a global recognition of the work we have done to bring Portuguese wines to the attention of wine lovers,” said Taylor Fladgate CEO Adrian Bridge, owner of The Yeatman. “Winning [this honor] is a dream come true for all of the team and all of us who are making outstanding Portuguese wines that we wish to showcase to the world.”
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/ns-grand-award-yeatman-062024_1600.jpg] [credit= (James Rajotte)] [alt= Servers attending to diners in The Yeatman’s dining room, with windows looking out onto the Douro River in the evening][end: article-img-container]
The Grand Award is presented to restaurants that show uncompromising, passionate devotion to the quality of their wine programs, typically offering at least 1,000 selections and the highest level of service. (Learn more about the awards criteria.)
“We are thrilled and delighted to be honored with the Wine Spectator Grand Award!” said Kurt Grasing, owner of Grasing’s, who also attributes his recognition to his team’s hard work. “This achievement is the culmination of a remarkable journey that began 27 years ago when we first opened our doors.”
In 1981, the inaugural year for Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards program, the magazine honored 13 restaurants with Grand Awards based on their extraordinary wine lists. The goal of the awards was to both recognize and encourage excellence in wine programs at a time when few restaurants devoted significant attention to them. Since then, the awards have grown significantly, and the addition of four new Grand Award winners this year brings the 2024 total to 96. Overall, the Restaurant Awards recognize more than 3,700 restaurants across three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and, at the pinnacle, the Grand Award.
[article-img-container][src=2024-06/ns-grand-award-grasings-062024_1600.jpg] [credit= (Angela DeCenzo Photography)] [alt= Wine director Eric Ewers selecting a bottle in the wine cellar at Grasing’s restaurant][end: article-img-container]
Detailed profiles of the four new Grand Award winners can be found in the Grand Awards Class of 2024 section of WineSpectator.com.
The full list of 2024 Restaurant Award winners will be available on the website on June 24, when the free Restaurant Search will be updated with all of the year’s honorees. In addition, the website features an extensive collection of articles, including Q&As with leading sommeliers, chefs and restaurateurs, roundups of where to drink well and restaurant-related news.
All award winners will be featured in the Aug. 31 issue of Wine Spectator (available on newsstands July 9). Along with the full profiles of the new Grand Award winners, the issue also includes in-depth reporting on how restaurants are thriving and reinvesting in themselves and a profile of famed chef Daniel Boulud.
