Best California Wine Lists winners announced
(SACRAMENTO, Aug. 7, 2009) – The winners of the Best California Wine List Competition have been selected.
California restaurants that feature wines produced in the state were invited to submit their wine lists, along with an essay detailing their wine program and commitment to promoting California wines. Winners were selected by a panel of judges in three categories:
The Melting Pot won out in the restaurant companies with 10 or more outlets category. The Tampa, Fla.-based company includes mostly California wines on its extensive list, and also provides in-depth wine education for its wait staff.
For restaurant companies with less than 10 locations and annual revenue of $1 million or more, The Firehouse Restaurant in Sacramento was selected. The Firehouse’s exhaustive wine collection includes more than 1,300 offerings from California.
California Café in Los Gatos came out on top in the restaurant companies with less than 10 locations and annual revenue of less than $1 million category. Its commitment to local wineries and weekly wine promotions set it apart from the competition.
“Our deepest congratulations to all of the winners,” said California Restaurant Association President + CEO Jot Condie. “The competition, while still relatively new, attracted many tremendous wine lists from across the state – proving that California is a world-class food and wine destination.”
In its second year, the statewide competition presented by the CRA was created in partnership with the Wine Institute of California to celebrate September as California Wine Month, by proclamation of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wine is an important part of California’s economy, as the state is the fourth largest wine producer in the world, making 90 percent of American wine and is responsible for $18.5 billion in retail wine sales in the United States.
“The winning restaurants all show incredible commitment to promoting the best wines California has to offer,” said Nancy Light, Wine Institute of California director of communications. “California Wine Month provides a fantastic opportunity to restaurants to support the state’s exceptional and diverse array of wines. In doing so, restaurants also can convey their commitment to supporting local producers, which is in high demand by customers.”
The competition judges included renowned wine merchant Darrell Corti, owner of Corti Brothers market in Sacramento; noted wine critic Mike Dunne, formerly of The Sacramento Bee; Maureen Trippe of Château Ste. Michelle and wine director Joe Vacarro of Ella Dining Room & Bar in Sacramento.
The winners will be announced in the next issue of The Restaurant Standard magazine, which will be devoted to the California wine and spirits industry, as well as an upcoming edition of Nation’s Restaurant News.
To read more about California Wine Month, go online at www.TheRestaurantStandard.com.