To apply for our Restaurant Awards program, click here!
For more than four decades, Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards have served as the global benchmark for excellence in restaurant wine programs. Each year, the awards recognize dining destinations around the world whose wine lists elevate the experience at the table—whether through thoughtful curation, deep cellars, outstanding service or exceptional value.
Wine Spectator is now accepting applications through our online portal for the 2026 Restaurant Awards, with submissions open from January 13 through March 13, 2026. Restaurants at every stage of their wine-program journey—from compact, carefully focused lists to encyclopedic collections—are encouraged to apply.
Restaurateurs, sommeliers and chefs the world over recognize the value of the awards. Chef Daniel Boulud, who owns six award-winning restaurants, including Grand Award winner Daniel, says: “We are proud to have received recognition from Wine Spectator since 2002 for our outstanding wine programs and for the work our amazing sommelier team put into maintaining a world-class wine list … anybody who has the ambition and knowledge of wine should strive to win a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award.”
A Resource for Diners Everywhere
For wine-loving diners, the Restaurant Awards provide an invaluable guide. WineSpectator.com’s Restaurants section allows users to search award winners by location, cuisine, wine strengths and pricing, while the free Restaurant Awards iPhone app helps travelers and locals alike discover standout wine programs nearby or around the globe.
Award winners are also featured annually in Wine Spectator’s Aug. 31 Restaurants issue and highlighted throughout the year in Wine Spectator’s editorial coverage, dining newsletter and other restaurant-focused content. Winners receive an official certificate and digital assets for use on wine lists, websites and marketing materials.
For restaurants, the award serves as third-party validation of their wine program; for consumers, it is a trusted signal of what to expect at the table.
Three Award Levels, One Shared Commitment to Wine
The Restaurant Awards are divided into three categories:
- Award of Excellence (2,008 winners): Honors wine lists with at least 75 selections that offer a well-chosen assortment of quality producers and a thoughtful match to the menu. These lists can be compact or expansive, focused or diverse, but all provide satisfying options for discerning enophiles.
- Best of Award of Excellence (1,700 winners): Recognizes restaurants with significant breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and vertical depth in top producers, along with superior presentation. Typically featuring 350 or more selections, these restaurants are true destinations for serious wine lovers.
- Grand Award (97 winners): Wine Spectator’s highest honor is reserved for restaurants demonstrating an uncompromising devotion to wine. These lists typically feature 1,000 or more selections, mature vintages, large-format bottles, exceptional harmony with the menu and the highest level of wine service. Today, fewer than 100 restaurants worldwide hold this rare distinction.
Across all three levels, Wine Spectator’s editors have reviewed tens of thousands of wine lists over the past four decades. One lesson remains consistent: Extraordinary wine programs can thrive in any location, cuisine or format.
45 Years of Recognizing Excellence
The Restaurant Awards program made its debut in 1981, at a time when wine was rapidly gaining a foothold in American dining culture. California’s wine industry was expanding and consumer interest was surging, yet many restaurant wine lists remained an afterthought.
Wine Spectator editor and publisher Marvin R. Shanken saw an opportunity to raise the bar. “I had a frustration: I would go to a lot of casual restaurants, and they had good food, but they really didn’t pay attention to the wine.”
That first year, Wine Spectator introduced the Grand Award, selecting 13 restaurants from more than 500 nominated candidates. Each list was evaluated for quality, breadth, value and presentation, and finalists were visited in person to assess inventory, storage, service, ambience and cuisine. By the mid-1980s, the program had expanded internationally and incorporated the three-tier award structure.
Today, Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards encompass more than 3,800 award-winning wine lists across more than 80 countries and all 50 U.S. states, representing cuisines from six continents and restaurants at every price point.
Applying for the 2026 Awards
Applications for the 2026 Restaurant Awards are open from January 13 to March 13, 2026.
All applicants, whether new or renewing, must complete an online application and submit digital copies of their current wine list and dinner menu. Learn more about the application process here, or head straight to our online application portal to get your restaurant’s wine list the recognition it deserves!
