Wine Spectator: 28 Wine Country restaurant wine lists among world's best

Wine Spectator has announced the winners of its 2015 Restaurant Awards, recognizing 3,600 outstanding restaurants worldwide that offer extraordinary wine lists.

Several Wine Country restaurants were among those named at the three award levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award.

A total of 2,563 restaurants earned the program’s Award of Excellence, which recognizes a wine list offering an interesting and diverse selection of wines that thematically match the restaurant’s cuisine in price and style.

Award of Excellence winners from Wine Country include John Ash & Co. of Santa Rosa, Olive & Vine of Glen Ellen, the Restaurant at Kenwood Inn and Spa in Kenwood, Zazu Kitchen + Farm in Sebastopol, River’s End Restaurant & Inn in Jenner, Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar in Sonoma and Saddles Steakhouse at MacArthur Place in Sonoma. Cafe Beaujolais and Ravens’ Restaurant in Mendocino also won an Award of Excellence, as did Carpe Diem Wine Bar in Napa, Morimoto Napa in Napa, Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, Lucy Restaurant & Bar in Yountville, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena and Solbar in Calistoga.

Another 973 restaurants earned a Best of Award of Excellence for offering a wine list of typically 350 or more quality selections with vintage depth and superior breadth in one or more major wine regions. Wine Country winners include Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, Santé in Boyes Hot Springs, 1313 Main Restaurant & Wine Bar in Napa, Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ in Napa, Brix Restaurant in Napa, Farm in Napa, Oenotri in Napa, Auberge du Soleil Restaurant in Rutherford, Bouchon in Yountville, Press in St. Helena and Tra Vigne in St. Helena.

The Grand Award, an elite group of 81 winners representing 13 countries, is given to restaurants that offer more than 1,000 wine selections, with superior breadth in one or more major wine regions. Wine Country restaurants who snagged a Grand Award include La Toque in Napa and The French Laundry in Yountville.

The complete list of award winners will be featured in the Aug. 31 issue of Wine Spectator, available on newsstands July 21. winespectator.com.