Western Pa. restaurants recognized for diverse wine selections
Pour a glass of wine and raise a toast.
There are 17 Western Pennsylvania restaurants within a 50-mile radius of Pittsburgh that have been recognized — some for the first time — in Wine Spectator’s 2020 restaurant awards.
Wine Spectator is a wine magazine that honors the world’s best wine and wine culture, reaching around 3 million readers. Winners were named from all 50 states and more than 79 countries.
“This year’s Wine Spectator restaurant award program celebrates restaurants’ resilience, dedication and bravery during these unprecedented times,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator, in a statement. “We hope that all of our award winners and the people who make them special will find their way through the crisis to once again welcome us through their doors. We look forward to raising a glass together, and to new beginnings.”
A list of local winners can be found here.
The longest tenured local choice is the LeMont Restaurant on Mt. Washington. It has been honored since 2000.
Four newcomers are The Warren Bar & Burrow and Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Downtown Pittsburgh, Napa Prime Chophouse in Wexford and Off the Hook in Warrendale.
LeMont is pleased to receive the award again, said Danielle Fingers, LeMont’s general manager.
“LeMont customers (can) enjoy the over 150 bottles of wines,” Fingers said. “Our most popular wine is California reds and Italian reds are growing in popularity. “
Restaurants enter in either a renewal category or as a new entry.
Cassia Schifter, director of restaurant awards and associate taster for Wine Spectator, said restaurant applications are judged by a panel of wine experts. The wine list must include producer name, appellation (area where the grapes were grown) and vintage. It needs to be organized and must show diversity among regions, styles and producers.
“This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to have ‘x’ number of wines from France, ‘y’ number of wines from California and ‘z’ number of wines from Spain,” Schifter said. “We see a lot of Italian restaurants with great Italian-focused lists, but it has to be more than just Pinot Grigio and Chianti, for example.”
Spectator awards are given to restaurants with solid wine selections, said Adam Knoerzer, Pittsburgh-based sommelier, founder and owner of ‘Burghundy LLC, a company that hosts wine classes and private events.
“Awards demonstrate the growth of wine in Pittsburgh,” he said. “Some of the restaurants on the list have been around for a long time and are considered more of the old guard, but there are some new places, too.”
Knoerzer said The Warren Bar & Burrow has some of the best curated wine selections he has seen locally. They aren’t all trendy wines, he said.
“This is a good thing,” he said. “The more we can recognize Pittsburgh restaurants for their wine, the more of an opportunity we have to create a community here that shows the breadth of diversity of wines.”
Have you searched through our 2020 @WSRestoAwards winners? There might be an award-winning #restaurant and #wine list near you! https://t.co/75h4dDIYeB pic.twitter.com/drSUY8we67
— Wine Spectator (@WineSpectator) September 23, 2020
Schifter said Pittsburgh has an interesting mix of restaurants from steakhouses to Mediterranean to sushi.
“Several of these restaurants have been in our program for as many as four to 20 years, which we love seeing because we love to truly get to know the restaurants we award, and see how they grow and evolve their lists year after year,” she said. “When a restaurant provides its diners with a selection of wines that they wouldn’t normally see on shelves, knowledgeable staff to help guide them, and service that elevates the experience to something memorable for their diners, it’s a wonderful thing and we want people to recognize that.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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