FEATURES – NOVEMBER 2009

Stellar Cellar Wine Awards

Hampton Roads Magazine celebrates the very best vintages in our fourth annual Stellar Cellar Wine Awards By Patrick Evans-Hylton The Hampton Roads Magazine 70 november

 

Music In You
Bookmark and Share by Patrick Evans-Hylton

Wine is everywhere—television, newspaper, magazine and radio. It seems no matter where you turn on or tune in, someone is talking about the newest California cult wine, the burgeoning wine industry in Virginia, some great little find from South America, or favorites from Europe.

Americans are more wine savvy now than ever before, and restaurants must keep pace. If Joe and Jane Diner read about a hot wine find from Australia in the latest issue of Bon Appetit, then they want to see it on a wine list the next time they eat out.

Restaurant wine lists are an evolving thing, most featuring a wide assortment of vino, and in our state, many Virginia varietals too. Today’s wine lists are more approachable and have grown to include a wide range of price points to please many pocketbooks. Staff members—not just sommeliers—are well versed and eager to help with selections.

It’s a good time to be a wine lover, and that’s what our Stellar Cellar Wine Awards are all about—showcasing the outstanding restaurants in our region and the wonderful vintages they offer. The awards are open to any Hampton Roads restaurant through an application process.

 

We graded restaurants and placed each in a category: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Pewter. Following are our choices; cheers!

The Criteria

A group of skilled professionals, currently not working in a restaurant, were selected—due to their talents and knowledge of wine—to evaluate offerings from restaurants that applied for consideration for the Stellar Cellar Awards. An applicant’s wine list and dinner menu were reviewed, along with an application submitted by the restaurant’s sommelier or other person in charge of the wine program. Criteria reviewed included:

• Diversity and suitability overall
• Wine by the glass offerings
• Pricing – fair mark up and something for everyone
• Wine programs/dinners – guest education/involvement
• Miscellaneous, such as unique offerings

Each criterion was given a point value, with a possible total value of up to 100 points. Grading sheets were totaled and averaged to arrive at a numeric evaluation, giving a value to assign to the different categories. We feel the quality of professionals on our panel was top-notch and the selection process fair and balanced.
—PEH

Platinum Level

Blue Talon Bistro
420 Prince George St.,
Williamsburg
757-476-2583
www.bluetalonbistro.com
Responsible for wine program:
Adam Steely, general manager/owner
Total wine selections: 85
Virginia wine selections: 4
Wines by glass: 34
Other: “We hold monthly wine
events, alternating dinners with
winemakers and tastings featuring
40–45 wines. We sell all bottles
of wine at 50 percent off on
Tuesdays. We offer Introduction
to Wine seminars to William and
Mary students.”

Catch 31 Fish House & Bar
Inside the Hilton
Virginia Beach Oceanfront
3001 Atlantic Ave.,
Virginia Beach
757-213-3747
www.31ocean.com
Responsible for wine program:
David Katz, director of operations
Total wine selections: 330
Virginia wine selections: 13
Wines by glass: 11
Other: “The focus of the wine program at Catch 31 is to represent
a carefully chosen and
extensive selection of wines
from the viticulture regions of
the United States, Australia,
France, New Zealand, Spain,
Chile, Argentina and Italy.
Blending tradition and innovation,
famous producers and
boutique wineries allow us to
share the taste of rated wines
and new experiments, balancing
a wide array of flavors and
aromas. “

Fat Canary
410 Duke of Gloucester St.,
Williamsburg
757-229-3333
www.fatcanarywilliamsburg.com
Responsible for wine program:
Cathy Power Pattisall,
owner/general manager;
Thomas Power Sr., owner;
David Ricker, bar manager;
Rick Yotti, wine cellar manager
Total wine selections: 920
Virginia wine selections: 64
Wines by glass: 26
Other: “The Wine Cellar is also
home to over 120 craft beer
selections from around the
world, many of which are from
Virginia. We emphasize wines
of a high quality and remarkable
uniqueness. Any wine
available in The Wine Cellar
is also available at the Fat
Canary.”

River Stone Chophouse
8032 Harbour View Blvd.,
Suffolk
757-638-7990
www.riverstonechophouse.com
Responsible for wine program:
Cindy McGann, partner/
vice president of operations;
Charlie Rizzo, a certified sommelier,
is on staff
Total wine selections: 275
Virginia wine selections: 3
Wines by glass: 26
Other: “We use all Stolze stemware
and have separate temperature
controlled storage for
bottles and wines by the glass.”

Salacia
Inside the Hilton
Virginia Beach Oceanfront
3001 Atlantic Ave.,
Virginia Beach
757-213-3473
www.31ocean.com
Responsible for wine program:
Nikolay Dimitrov, manager
Total wine selections: 330
Virginia wine selections: 13
Wines by glass: 11
Other: “Wine is meant to be an
integral part of our dining experience.
All wines have been
selected to correspond with the
chef’s inventive cuisine, as well
as the wine steward’s expertise.”

 

 

Stove, The Restaurant
2622 Detroit St., Portsmouth
757-397-0900
www.stoverestaurant.com
Responsible for wine program:
Sydney Meers, chef/owner
Total wine selections: 220
Virginia wine selections: 6
Wines by glass: 33
Other: “We host wine dinners
four times a year. We are starting
a wine club, which will also
meet quarterly.”

Surf Club Ocean Grille
Inside the Wyndham
Virginia Beach Oceanfront
5700 Atlantic Ave.,
|Virginia Beach
757-425-5699
www.surfclubvabeach.com
Responsible for wine program:
Jeff Cohen, restaurant manager
Total wine selections: 197
Virginia wine selections: 4
Wines by glass: 19
Other: “Our North End Wine
Club does tastings on a monthly
basis. We offer dinners which are
paired with wineries for tastings
and seminars; we try to do seminars
every eight to 10 weeks.”

The Trellis
403 Duke of Gloucester St.,
Williamsburg
757-229-8610
www.thetrellis.com
Responsible for wine program: Noreen Graziano,
manager/wine director
Total wine selections: 250
Virginia wine selections: 20–30
Wines by glass: 15–20
Other: “Wines are tasted with
distributors on a regular basis.
We run reports to find out what
is selling and what isn’t. We try
to remain ahead of trends, so
when they come out our program
is in place. We subscribe
to all major wine magazines and
some of the smaller ones. The
weather and time of year influence
what we pour by the glass
based on menu items as well.
The menu changes four times
a year, and this allows for great
variation in food and wine pairings.
We love to feature hard to
find wines.”

Vintage Tavern
1900 Governor’s Pointe Dr.,
Virginia Beach
757-238-8808
www.vintagetavernvirginia.com
Responsible for wine program: Cindy McGann,
partner/vice president of operations
Total wine selections: 425
Virginia wine selections: 4–5
Wines by glass: 22
Other: “We host wine dinners
quarterly, plus our annual Pork
’n Pinot. We also offer an inhouse
wine locker program.”

Zoe’s
713 19th St., Virginia Beach
757-437-3697
www.zoesvb.com
Responsible for wine program: Marc Sauter, sommelier/proprietor
Total wine selections: 300
Virginia wine selections: 14
Wines by glass: 50
Other: “We host monthly wine
dinners of four to six courses
priced from $39 to $1,000 per
person. A bi-monthly wine
class is taught by Marc Sauter.
Recently rented upstairs space
has been converted into
Sauter’s Cellar, a warehouse and
retail shop.”

 

For a complete listing of our Stellar Cellar Wine Awards see the November 2009 issue of Hampton Roads Magazine.

 

>>back

 

ß