33 CT Restaurants Earn 2022 Wine Spectator Awards: See Which Ones

CONNECTICUT — One of the country's top wine magazines tallied its annual "best of the best" restaurants for oenophiles, and Connecticut dining rooms were more than well-represented.

Wine Spectator unveiled the 2022 Restaurant Awards winners, which honor the world's best restaurants for wines. This year's awards program recognized 3,169 dining destinations from all 50 states and in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In Connecticut, 33 restaurants earned recognition. Since 1981, the Restaurant Awards have had three distinct levels: The "Award of Excellence," the "Best of Award of Excellence" and the "Grand Award."

The Award of Excellence is given to restaurants that carefully choose their wine lists to have 100 or more selections, containing both quality and diverse wines, according to the magazine. There were 1,782 winners in the category this year.

The next tier is the Best of Award of Excellence, given to the overachieving restaurants with lists of 350 or more selections from top producers, with a wide variety of regions and vintage depths. These restaurants might also carefully design the presentations of the list, train their staff to assist diners with the list and have curated wine dinners, according to Wine Spectator. Worldwide, 1,290 restaurants received the Best of Award of Excellence award.

The sommelier's brass ring is the magazine's Grand Award, and that has only ever been awarded to 97 restaurants around the world, and never to a Connecticut establishment. (The closest we've come geographically is Crabtree's Kittle House Inn in Chappaqua, NY in 1994.) This year, Wine Spectator awarded its top prize to Gabriel Kreuther in Manhattan, and Press in Napa Valley.

Here are Connecticut's 2022 winners:

Best of Award of Excellence

Artisan, 275 Old Post Road, Southport

• Wine Strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Artisan, 1 Memorial Road, West Hartford

• Wine Strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Barcelona Wine Bar, 1515 West Avenue, Norwalk

• Wine Strengths: Spain
• Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas

Barcelona Wine Bar, 222 Summer Street, Stamford

• Wine Strengths: Spain
• Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas

Barcelona Wine Bar, 4180 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield

• Wine Strengths: Spain
• Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas

Barcelona Wine Bar, 155 Temple Street, New Haven

• Wine Strengths: Spain
• Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas

Barcelona Wine Bar, 971 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford

• Wine Strengths: Spain
• Cuisine: Spanish, Tapas

Caputo Trattoria, 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Ledyard

• Wine Strengths: France, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Italy
• Cuisine: Italian

David Burke Prime Steakhouse, 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Ledyard

• Wine Strengths: Italy, Bordeaux, Burgundy
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

Fife 'N Drum Restaurant & Inn, 53 N. Main Street

• Wine Strengths: California, Bordeaux, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, Regional

Kensington's, The Spa at Norwich Inn, 607 W. Thames Street, Norwich

• Wine Strengths: California. France, Italy, Connecticut, Port
• Cuisine: American, Regional

L'Escale Restaurant, Delamar Hotel, 500 Steamboat Road, Greenwich

• Wine Strengths: Burgundy, California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: French

La Foresta Restaurant & Wine Bar, 163 Route 81, Killingworth

• Wine Strengths: Tuscany, Piedmont, Italy, California, France, Spain
• Cuisine: Italian

Nouveau Monde, 6 Washington Avenue, Sandy Hook

• Wine Strengths: France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, Seasonal

The Restaurant At Rowayton Seafood, 89 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton

• Wine Strengths: France, California, Italy
• Cuisine: American, Regional

Tony's at the J House, The J House Greenwich, 1114 E. Putnam Avenue, Riverside

• Wine Strengths: California, Italy
• Cuisine: Italian, Steakhouse

Winvian Farm Restaurant, 155 Alain White Road, Morris

• Wine Strengths: California, Burgundy, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Award of Excellence

2 Hopewell Bistro, 2 Hopewell Road, South Glastonbury

• Wine Strengths: Italy, California
• Cuisine: American

Castello Restaurant, 2 Padanaram Road, Danbury

• Wine Strengths: Italy
• Cuisine: Italian

Gabriele's of Westport, 27 Powers Court, Westport

• Wine Strengths: Italy, California
• Cuisine: Italian, Steakhouse

Millwright's Restaurant, 77 West Street, Simsbury

• Wine Strengths: France, California
• Cuisine: American, Seasonal

Rebeccas, 265 Glenville Road, Greenwich

• Wine Strengths: France
• Cuisine: American

Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill, 100 S. Water Street, New Haven

• Wine Strengths: France, California
• Cuisine: Seafood, Steakhouse

The Capital Grille, 44 Front Street, Hartford

• Wine Strengths: France, California
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

The Capital Grille, 230 Tresser Boulevard, Stamford

• Wine Strengths: France, California
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

The Essex, 247 Main Street, Old Saybrook

• Wine Strengths: California
• Cuisine: American

The Griswold Inn Wine Bar, 36 Main Street, Essex

• Wine Strengths: California
• Cuisine: American, Small Plates

The Shipwright's Daughter, 20 E. Main Street, Mystic

• Wine Strengths: France
• Cuisine: American, Regional

Townhouse, 35 Church Street, Greenwich

• Wine Strengths: France, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Union Kitchen, 43 LaSalle Road, West Hartford

• Wine Strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: American

Viron Rondo Osteria, 1721 Highland Avenue, Cheshire

• Wine Strengths: Italy, California
• Cuisine: Italian, Steakhouse

Vyne Restaurant & Bar, 1365 Whittemore Road, Middlebury

• Wine Strengths: California
• Cuisine: American

Washington Prime, 141 Washington Street, South Norwalk

• Wine Strengths: California, Italy
• Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

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