Wine Spectator reveals 2025 restaurant award winners with focus on classic wine styles and traditional dining

Wine Spectator has announced its 2025 Restaurant Award winners, highlighting more than 3,800 restaurants from all 50 states and over 80 countries and territories. This year’s awards reflect a renewed appreciation for classic wine styles and traditional dining experiences. Many of the recognized restaurants are focusing on Old World wines, older vintages, and rare grape varieties, while classic steakhouses are also making a comeback.

The awards are divided into three categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence, and Grand Award. The Award of Excellence was given to 2,010 restaurants this year. These establishments offer well-curated wine lists with at least 100 selections that complement their cuisine and price range. Each list is organized with clear details about each wine, including vintage and appellation.

The Best of Award of Excellence went to 1,704 restaurants in 2025. These restaurants demonstrate a higher level of commitment to wine service, including extensive staff training and hosting wine-focused events. Their wine lists typically feature at least 350 selections from top producers around the world, with significant depth in vintages and regions. Of these winners, 197 were new to the program this year, while 148 were upgraded from the Award of Excellence.

The Grand Award is Wine Spectator’s highest honor and was awarded to 97 restaurants worldwide in 2025. These elite establishments offer more than 1,000 wine selections, with deep verticals from renowned producers and a range of bottle formats. To receive this award, restaurants must pass a rigorous inspection by Wine Spectator judges. This year, three new restaurants joined the Grand Award ranks: Le Bon Georges in Paris; Selby’s in Atherton, California; and Soby’s in Greenville, South Carolina.

Among the new Award of Excellence winners is Lillian in Richmond, Virginia. Wine director Grayum Vickers expressed pride in the recognition, noting that it honors the team’s dedication to wine service. In Hobe Sound, Florida, The Grove, Cucina & Wine received the Award of Excellence for the sixth consecutive year. Owner Jen Reyneri described the achievement as a reflection of faith, family, and community support.

Restaurants like Marsh House in Nashville were upgraded to Best of Award of Excellence this year. Wine director Todd Johnston said that building their wine list has been a labor of love and that recognition from Wine Spectator validates their efforts.

Wine Spectator’s full list of award-winning restaurants is available online at WineSpectator.com/Restaurants. The site features a searchable database where users can find restaurants by name, location, cuisine type, wine strengths, pricing, and award level. The Aug. 31 issue of Wine Spectator will include profiles of all award winners and will be available on newsstands starting July 15.

Wine Spectator encourages readers to stay informed about restaurant trends and award winners through its Private Guide to Dining email newsletter and Restaurant Awards app. Both resources provide updates on new winners and insights from sommeliers, chefs, and restaurateurs throughout the year.