Wine&S29th Annual& Restaurantpirits Poll 50 APRIL 2018 wineandspiritsmagazine.com $5.99 • Canada $6.99 Display until April 30, 2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON MOST POPULAR CABERNET SAUVIGNONS Cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir have been fighting for top variety in W&S’s Annual Restaurant Poll for the last five years. Last year, caber- Rank Brand Bottling Avg. Price net took top honors among the most popular wines in US restaurants. 1 Silver Oak Wine Cellars Alexander Valley $163 This year, pinot noir edges it out by less than a percentage point. Still, of the most popular wines on respondents’ lists in 2017, nearly 2 Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley $165 13 percent were cabernet sauvignon or cabernet-based. And seven of the most popular brands overall are significant cabernet producers: 3 Justin Paso Robles $67 Cakebread, Caymus, Jordan, Duckhorn, Frank Family, Silver Oak and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. 4 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Napa Valley Artemis $118 In terms of brand visibility among American diners, cabernet 5 Faust Napa Valley $104 sauvignon has the upper hand. “Wine lists can be intimidating,” says Joshua Steiner of Carnevor in Milwaukee. “Guests gravitate to names 6 Frank Family Napa Valley $108 that are familiar. Our three best-selling cabs (Stag’s Leap, Silver Oak and Caymus) are consistently good, regardless of vintage. We don’t 7 Jordan Vineyards Alexander Valley $120 try to sell those wines: People have decided on those before they walk through the door.” 8 Hall Napa Valley $83 And where beef is involved, cabernet is still king. “We are very Napa Valley $143 much a traditional Texas steakhouse,” says Bill Elsey of Pappas Bros. 9 Heitz Wine Cellars Napa Valley Trailside Vineyard $188 Steakhouse in Houston, “and with their meals, people love the big 10 J. Lohr Paso Robles Seven Oaks $50 California cabs.” At Mistral in Boston, David Borsman says diners are “taking a deeper look at Chateau Montelena, Grgich Hills, Ridge— 11 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley $93 you know, the guys that have been doing it for decades. I think as people learn more about wine in general maybe they’re starting to 12 Obsidian Ridge Red Hills Lake County $57 think these aren’t just brands, these are the originals for a reason and they’re still at it so there must be something to that.” 13 St. Francis Vineyards Sonoma County $48 There is also a significant interest in Bordeaux, which, sommeliers are finding, can often come in at a better value than Napa cabernet 14 Mt. Veeder Winery Napa Valley $86 (the average price for the best-selling cabernets in our respondents’ restaurants is $104, $14 more than the average for pinot noir). “Bor- 15 Opus One Napa Valley Overture $229 deaux is making a comeback,” says Nicole Hakli of NYC’s Momofuku 16 Darioush Napa Valley $243 Ssäm Bar, pointing to the 2011 Haut-Medoc, Les Allées de Cante- RESTAURANT POLL RESTAURANT merle. “It’s a great restaurant wine—it’s food friendly, ready to drink, 17 Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley Artist’s Series $93 at a friendly price point at $68 a bottle—and it’s terrific with the duck or pork shoulder ssam, or the wagyu beef.” 18 Corison Napa Valley $192 19 Alexander Valley Vyds. Alexander Valley $49 20 Turnbull Napa Valley $100 29th ANNUAL 29th ANNUAL In the $50 to $70 range, you’ll get better value out of Bordeaux 21 Sequoia Grove Vineyards Napa Valley $90 than Napa. You can find some fun 22 Leonetti Cellar Columbia Valley $228 artisanal Côtes de Bordeaux or Supérieur—family-made wines, 23 Louis Martini Winery Napa Valley $44 with a couple years of bottle age. 24 Chateau Montelena Napa Valley $119 —Noah Singerman, Husk, Charleston, SC 25 Keenan Spring Mountain $52 26 Lewis Napa Valley Mason’s $125 27 Snowden Napa Valley Brothers Vineyard $140 The international business crowd that comes 28 L’Ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley $68 in wants the best of what the US has to offer, so then we’re dealing with Napa Valley and cabernet sauvignon. They want to try California. —Bill Elsey, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Houston 70 WINE & SPIRITS APRIL 2018 Frasca Food and Wine Kyma Boulder, 303-442-6966 Atlanta, 404-262-0702 frascafoodandwine.com buckheadrestaurants.com/ kyma RESTAURANT Acorn Denver, 720-542-3721 Marcel denveracorn.com Atlanta, 404-665-4555 marcelatl.com Barolo Grill DIRECTORY Denver, 303-393-1040 The Optimist Here are the 231 restaurants that participated in our 29th Annual barologrilldenver.com Atlanta, 404-477-6260 Restaurant Poll. Wine & Spirits contacted wine directors at 3,584 theoptimistrestaurant.com restaurants, inviting them to fill out the poll. We’ve listed respondents Beast + Bottle by state and then by city. Denver, 303-623-3223 Sotto Sotto beastandbottle.com Atlanta, 404-523-6678 urestaurants.com ARIZONA Manhattan Beach Post Hillside Supper Club Tavernetta Manhattan Beach San Francisco, 415-285-6005 Denver, 720-605-1889 St. Cecilia Christo’s 310-545-5405 hillsidesupperclub.com tavernettadenver.com Atlanta, 404-554-9995 Phoenix, 602-264-1784 eatmbpost.com La Folie stceciliaatl.com christos1.com CONNECTICUT La Taberna San Francisco, 415-776-5577 no. 246 Greekfest Napa, 707-224-5551 lafolie.com Decatur, 678-399-8246 Hopkins Inn Phoenix, 602-265-2990 latabernanapa.com no246.com thegreekfest.com Leo’s Oyster Bar New Preston, 860-868-7295 Erna’s Elderberry House San Francisco, 415-872-9982 thehopkinsinn.com 45 Bistro Oakhurst, 559-683-6800 leossf.com CALIFORNIA Savannah, 912-234-3111 chateausureau.com Liholiho Yacht Club DC 45bistro.com Chez Panisse À Côté San Francisco, 415-440-5446 The Grey Doi Moi Berkeley, 510-548-5525 Oakland, 510-655-6469 liholihoyachtclub.com Savannah, 912-662-5999 Washington, 202-733-5131 chezpanisse.com acoterestaurant.com thegreyrestaurant.com One Market doimoidc.com Spago Ordinaire San Francisco, 415-777-5577 Beverly Hills, 310-385-0880 Oakland, 510-629-3944 onemarket.com Iron Gate HAWAII wolfgangpuck.com ordinairewine.com Washington, 202-524-5202 Quince irongaterestaurantdc.com Cafe Pesto George’s Ocean Terrace Roy’s San Francisco, 415-775-8500 Hilo, 808-969-6640 Izakaya at Daikaya POLL RESTAURANT La Jolla, 858-454-4244 San Diego, 619-239-7697 quincerestaurant.com cafepesto.com georgesatthecove.com roysrestaurant.com Washington, 202-589-1600 Tosca Cafe daikaya.com Fete Hawaii 71above 1760 San Francisco, 415-986-9657 Honolulu, 808-369-1390 Minibar Los Angeles, 213-712-2683 San Francisco, 415-359-1212 toscacafesf.com fetehawaii.com 71above.com 1760sf.com Washington, 202-393-0812 Tasca Tasca minibarbyjoseandres.com La Mer Bestia Absinthe Sonoma, 707-996-8272 Honolulu 29th ANNUAL Los Angeles, 213-514-5724 San Francisco, 415-551-1590 tascatasca.com FLORIDA 808-923-2311, Ext. 35 bestiala.com absinthe.com Press halekulani.com Eduardo de San Angel Here’s Looking At You Acquerello St. Helena, 707-967-0550 Orchids Ft. Lauderdale, 954-772-4731 Los Angeles, 213-568-3573 San Francisco, 415-567-5432 pressnapavalley.com Honolulu, 808-923-2311 hereslookingatyoula.com acquerello.com eduardodesanangel.com Gjelina halekulani.com Osteria Mozza Aster Venice, 310-450-1429 Casa Juancho Los Angeles, 323-297-0100 San Francisco, 415-875-9810 gjelina.com Miami, 305-642-2452 ILLINOIS osteriamozza.com astersf.com casajuancho.com Rose Cafe Autre Monde Cafe Patina Barrel Room SF Venice, 310-399-0711 GEORGIA Berwyn, 708-775-8122 Los Angeles, 213-972-3331 San Francisco, 415-956-6900 rosecafevenice.com autremondecafe.net patinagroup.com barrelroomsf.com Empire State South Bottega Acadia Atlanta, 404-541-1105 Redbird Bellota Yountville, 707-945-1050 Chicago, 312-360-9500 empirestatesouth.com Los Angeles, 213-788-1191 San Francisco, 415-430-6580 botteganapavalley.com acadiachicago.com redbird.la bellotasf.com The General Muir Band of Bohemia COLORADO Atlanta, 678-927-9131 Manresa Californios Chicago, 773-271-4710 Los Gatos, 408-354-4330 San Francisco, 415-757-0994 thegeneralmuir.com The Little Nell bandofbohemia.com manresarestaurant.com californiossf.com JCT. Kitchen & Bar Aspen, 970-920-6330 Bavette’s Bar and Boeuf Atlanta, 404-355-2252 Carbon Beach Club Restaurant Foreign Cinema thelittlenell.com Chicago, 312-624-8154 jctkitchen.com Malibu, 310-460-7509 San Francisco, 415-648-7600 bavetteschicago.com malibubeachinn.com foreigncinema.com WINE & SPIRITS APRIL 2018 77 Beacon Tavern In Good Company Roast NEW YORK Casa Mono Chicago, 312-955-4226 Rockland, 207-593-9110 Detroit, 313-961-2500 New York, 212-253-2773 beacontavern.com ingoodcompanymaine.com roastdetroit.com The Four Horsemen casamononyc.com Brooklyn, 718-599-4900 Boeufhaus Selden Standard Charlie Bird MARYLAND fourhorsemenbk.com Chicago, 773-661-2116 Detroit, 313-438-5055 New York, 212-235-7133 boeufhaus.com seldenstandard.com Freek’s Mill charliebirdnyc.com Chiapparelli’s Brooklyn, 718-852-3000 Hopleaf Bar Baltimore, 410-837-0309 Vertical Detroit Craft freeksmill.com Chicago, 773-334-9851 chiapparellis.com Detroit, 313-732-9463 New York, 212-780-0880 hopleafbar.com verticaldetroit.com La Vara craftrestaurant.com Oceanaire Seafood Room Brooklyn, 718-422-0065 Income Tax Baltimore, 443-872-0000 Bridge Street Social Daniel lavarany.com Chicago, 773-897-9165 theoceanaire.com Dewitt, 517-668-1837 New York, 212-288-0033 incometaxbar.com bridgestreetsocial.com Leuca danielnyc.com MASSACHUSETTS Brooklyn, 718-581-5900 Joe’s Seafood db Bistro Moderne MINNESOTA leuca.com Chicago, 312-379-5637 New York, 212-391-2400 Bar Mezzana joes.net Lilia dbbistro.com/nyc/ Boston, 617-530-1770 Lake Elmo Inn Brooklyn, 718-576-3095 The Purple Pig barmezzana.com Lake Elmo, 651-777-8495 Del Posto lilianewyork.com Chicago, 312-464-1744 lakeelmoinn.com New York, 212-497-8090 Eastern Standard thepurplepigchicago.com The River Cafe delposto.com Boston, 617-532-9100 Gardens of Salonica Brooklyn, 718-522-5200 Spiaggia easternstandardboston.com Minneapolis, 612-378-0611 Dovetail rivercafe.com Chicago, 312-280-2750 gardensofsalonica.com New York, 212-362-3800 Island Creek Oyster Bar spiaggiarestaurant.com Ai Fiori dovetailnyc.com Boston, 617-532-5300 St.