Best Restaurants For Wine 2018: VA, DC Have 132 Award Winners

WASHINGTON, DC — Wine Spectator, one of the world’s leading authorities on wine, has assembled its 2018 list of the Best Restaurants for Wine, based not only on the breadth of vintages in their cellars but also how well wine is paired with entrees. In Washington, D.C., 52 restaurants made the prestigious list of 3,759 restaurants worldwide with outstanding wine selections, while 80 Virginia eateries made the list. Only one venue in the entire region earned the Grand Award: The Inn At Little Washington in Virginia.

The lifestyle magazine on wine and wine culture gave awards across three categories — Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, which went to only 91 restaurants around the world. Wine Spectator experts inspect all candidates for the Grand Award to evaluate both quality of the dining experience and the cellar.

This award is given to restaurants with world-class cellars and wine lists that typically feature 1,000 or more selections, a breadth of top producers, and outstanding depth in mature vintages and selection of large-format bottles. Restaurants in this category are also evaluated on the presentation of the wine list and the harmony with the menu.

In Virginia, one restaurant won the Grand Award, while 15 received the Best of Award of Excellence and 64 earned the Award of Excellence honor. In Washington, D.C., there were 21 Best of Award of Excellence honorees and 31 made the Award of Excellence list.

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Here are all Wine Spectator listings for Virginia venues:

GRAND AWARD

(91 restaurants nationwide)

• The Inn At Little Washington, Middle and Main Streets in Washington, VA

BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
(1,215 restaurants nationwide)

• Barcelona Wine Bar, 12023 Town Square St., Reston
• Buckhead's Restaurant & Chop House, 8510 Patterson Ave., Henrico
• Byrd & Baldwin Bros. Steakhouse, 116 Brooke Ave., Norfolk
• Eurasia Cafe, 960 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach
• Fahrenheit 132, 318 William St., Fredericksburg
• Fleurie Restaurant, 108 Third St. NE, Charlottesville
• Goodstone Restaurant, The Goodstone Inn, 6205 Snake Hill Road, Middleburg
• L'Auberge Provençale, L'Auberge Provencale Country Inn, 13630 Lord Fairfax Highway, Boyce
• Mermaid Winery, 330 W. 22nd St., Norfolk
• Mermaid Winery, 4401 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach
• Press 626 Wine Bar, 626 W. Olney Road, Norfolk
• Salacia - Prime Seafood and Steaks, Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hilton, 3001 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
• The Ashby Inn & Restaurant, 692 Federal St., Paris
• Vintage Tavern, 1900 Governor's Pointe Drive, Suffolk
• Zöes Steak and Seafood Restaurant, 713 19th St., Virginia Beach

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
(2,453 restaurants nationwide)

• Aldo's Ristorante, 1860 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach
• BRX American Bistro, 1025 I Seneca Road, Great Falls
• Bizou, 119 W. Main St., Charlottesville
• Bookbinder's Seafood & Steakhouse, 2306 E. Cary St., Richmond
• Bottle Stop Wine Bar, 311 Mill St., Occoquan
• Cafe Provencal, Williamsburg Winery, 5810 Wessex Hundred, Williamsburg
• Carmello's, 9108 Center St., Manassas
• Chesapeake Club, The Tides Inn, 480 King Carter Drive, Irvington
• Chima Steakhouse, 8010 Towers Crescent Drive, Vienna
• Circa '31, The Mimslyn Inn, 401 W. Main St., Luray
• Dolce Vita, 10824 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax
• Eddie V's Prime Seafood, 7900 Tysons One Place, McLean
• Fin Seafood Restaurant, 3150 William Styron Square, Newport News
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 1960A Chain Bridge Road, McLean
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 9200 Stony Point Parkway, Richmond
• Fogo de Chão, 1775 Tysons Blvd., Suite 50, Tysons Corner
• Hondos, 4120-B Cox Road, Glen Allen
• Houndstooth, Glen Gordon Manor, 1482 Zachary Taylor Highway, Huntly
• Il Giardino Ristorante, 910 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach
• Jaleo, 2250 Crystal Drive, Crystal City
• Joshua Wilton House, 412 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
• L'Auberge Chez François, 332 Springvale Road, Great Falls
• Legal Sea Foods, 2001 International Drive, McLean
• Lehja, 11800 W. Broad St., Richmond
• Lemaire, The Jefferson, 101 W. Franklin St., Richmond
• Lightfoot Restaurant, 11 N. King St., Leesburg
• Local Chop & Grill House, 56 W. Gay St., Harrisonburg
• Local Roots, 1314 Grandin Road S.W., Roanoke
• Masala Bites, 2133 Upton Drive, Virginia Beach
• Montano's International Restaurant, 3733 Franklin Road S.W., Roanoke
• Morton's, The Steakhouse, 11956 Market St., Reston
• Morton's, The Steakhouse, 1750 Crystal Drive, Arlington
• Morton's, The Steakhouse, 111 Virginia St., Richmond
• Nota Bene, 2110 E. Main St., Richmond
• One Fish, Two Fish, 2109 W. Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach
• Opus 9 Steakhouse, 5143 Main St., Williamsburg
• Osaka Sushi & Steak, 5023 Huguenot Road, Richmond
• Pazzo Pomodoro, 118 Branch Road S.E., Vienna
• Pazzo Pomodoro, 19825 Belmont Chase Drive #185, Ashburn
• Press Wine Bar, 2301 Red Tide Road, Virginia Beach
• Preston's, The Inn at Virginia Tech, 901 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg
• Red Pump Kitchen, 401 E. Main St., Charlottesville
• River Stone Chophouse, 8032 Harbour View Blvd., Suffolk
• Rockefeller Room, The Williamsburg Inn, 136 E. Francis St., Williamsburg
• Ruth's Chris Steak House, 2231 Crystal Drive, Arlington
• Ruth's Chris Steak House, 4100 Monument Corner Drive, Fairfax
• Ruth's Chris Steak House, 205 Central Park Ave., Virginia Beach
• Ruth's Chris Steak House, 8521 Leesburg Pike, Vienna
• Saltine, Hilton Norfolk "The Main," 100 E. Main St., Norfolk
• Schlesinger's Chophouse, 1106 William Styron Square, Newport News
• Seasons 52, 7863L Tysons Corner Center, McLean
• Shagbark Restaurant, 4901 Libbie Mill E. Blvd., Richmond
• Shula's Steak House, Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa, 12042 W. Broad St., Richmond
• Tautogs, 205 23rd St., Virginia Beach
• Tavola, 826 Hinton Ave., Charlottesville
• The Capital Grille, 1861 International Drive, McLean
• The Downtown Grille, 201 W. Main St., Charlottesville
• The Palm Tysons Corner, 1750 Tysons Blvd., McLean
• The Red Fox Inn & Tavern, 2 E. Washington St., Middleburg
• Todd Jurich's Bistro, 150 W. Main St., Norfolk
• Trio Grill, 8100 Lee Highway, Falls Church
• Varia, Hilton Norfolk "The Main," 100 E. Main St., Norfolk
• Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro, Westin Reston Heights, 11750 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston
• Vintage Restaurant, The Inn at Willow Grove, 14079 Plantation Way, Orange

Here are all Wine Spectator listings for Washington, D.C., venues:

BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
(1,215 restaurants nationwide)

• BLT Steak, 1625 I St. N.W.
• Barcelona Wine Bar, 1622 14th St. N.W.
• Barcelona Wine Bar, 3310 Wisconsin Ave.
• Bourbon Steak, Four Seasons Hotel Washington, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
• Casa Luca, 1099 New York Ave.
• Charlie Palmer Steak, 101 Constitution Ave. N.W.
• Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, 950 I St. N.W.
• Del Mar, 791 Wharf St. S.W.
• Fiola, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
• Fiola Mare, 3050 K St. N.W.
• Flight Wine Bar, 777 Sixth St. N.W.
• Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, 750 15th St. N.W.
• Kingbird, The Watergate Hotel, 2650 Virginia Ave. N.W.
• Kinship, 1015 Seventh St. N.W.
• Le Diplomate, 1601 14th St. N.W.
• Masseria, 1340 Fourth St. N.E.
• Metier, 1015 Seventh St. N.W.
• Plume, The Jefferson, 1200 16th St. N.W.
• Proof, 775 G St. N.W.Washington
• RPM Italian, 650 K St. N.W.
• The Capital Grille, 601 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
(2,453 restaurants nationwide)

• 1789 Restaurant, 1226 36th St. N.W.
• Agora Restaurant, 1527 17th St. N.W.
• B Too, 1324 14th St. N.W.
• BLT Prime by David Burke, Trump International Hotel, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
• Belga Café, 514 Eighth St. S.E.
• Blue Duck Tavern, Park Hyatt Washington, 1201 24th St. N.W.
• Centrolina, 974 Palmer Alley N.W.
• China Chilcano, 418 7th St. N.W.
• Clyde's Of Georgetown, 3236 M St. N.W.
• Del Frisco's Grille, 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
• Fogo de Chão, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
• Iron Gate Restaurant, 1734 N St. N.W.Washington
• Jaleo, 480 Seventh St. N.W.
• Kellari Taverna, 1700 K St. N.W.
• Legal Sea Foods, 704 Seventh St. N.W.
• Mastro's Steakhouse, 600 13th St., N.W.
• Momofuku CCDC, 1090 I St. NW
• Morton's, The Steakhouse, 3251 Prospect St. N.W.
• Morton's, The Steakhouse, 1050 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
• Occidental Grill & Seafood, 1475 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
• Ocean Prime, 1341 G St. N.W.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House, 1801 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House, 724 Ninth St. N.W.
• The Hamilton, 600 14th St. N.W.
• The Oceanaire Seafood Room, 1201 F St. N.W.
• The Palm Washington DC, 1225 19th St. N.W.
• The Tabard Inn, 1739 N St. N.W.
• Urbana Dining & Drinks, Hotel Palomar, 2121 P St. N.W.
• Zaytinya, 701 Ninth St. N.W.
• barmini by José Andrés, 501 9th St. N.W.
• minibar by José Andrés, 855 E St. N.W.

Wine Spectator’s 2018 Restaurant Award winners range from neighborhood wine bars that serve small plates to opulent palaces with star chefs and elaborate tasting menus. Getting a mention on it is a pretty big deal for the restaurants.

“A Wine Spectator award tells our guests — current and potential — that our program has been vetted by a panel of experts and deemed amongst the best in the world,” Erik Segelbaum, corporate wine director for the Starr Restaurants group, said in a news release.

Segelbaum, whose restaurants won 16 Wine Spectator awards this year, said they tell “wine-loving guests that visiting one of our restaurants is time and money well spent.” The awards are well regarded domestically and internationally, he said.

“There is no doubt that Wine Spectator reviews and awards are held in the highest regard in the domestic and international community,” he said in the release. “Awards of this nature show our wine-loving guests that visiting one of our restaurants is time and money well spent.”

The restaurants recognized by Wine Spectator are in all 50 U.S. states and 75 countries.

Click here see all the Grand Award winners.

Click here to peruse all winners by metropolitan area.

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