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Wine Spectator recognizes the top restaurants for wine across the world, with a number of Westchester establishments among this year’s winners.
The Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards highlight restaurants around the world whose wine offerings boast interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine, and appeal to wine lovers of all kinds. With Westchester County being a wine powerhouse and its residents identifying as wine connoisseurs, it’s no surprise that a number of local eateries made the cut on the 2023 list.
The awards are broken up into three categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence, and Grand Award. Seeing as how Westchester attracts the best and brightest in wining and dining, it’s no surprise that we have winners in all three.
Grand Award Winners
The Grand Award is the highest of the three honors. This year, there were 93 winners worldwide, two of them in Westchester. For restaurants to be considered, they typically feature 1,000 or more wines, with a variety of top-tier choices from noteworthy producers.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
630 Bedford Rd, Tarrytown
This upscale farm-to-table eatery in Pocantico Hills offers an impressive wine selection of 2,525 bottles. Wine Spectator highlights its strengths, which include wines from Burgundy, California, Rhône, Bordeaux, Italy, Champagne, Loire, Germany, Austria. There’s no shortage of selection to pair alongside your seasonal fare at Blue Hill.
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Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant and Inn
11 Kittle Rd, Chappaqua
If any restaurant in Westchester, or the world, deserves to be on this list, it’s Crabtree’s Kittle House. With over 4,500 wine selections and 40,000 bottles in its inventory, this farm-to-table restaurant is a wine lover’s dream. The restaurant boasts a world-renowned wine cellar with wines from every wine region and every variety.
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Best of Award of Excellence
The Award of Excellence went to 1,411 restaurants around the world. Wine Spectator notes, “These wine lists display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation.” Usually these restaurants offer 350 or more wines.
Moderne Barn
430 Bedford Rd, Armonk
Opened in 2010, this rustic eatery showcases the region’s organic fare and eloquent sips from around the world. With 480 wines in its collection, the restaurant is recognized for its vinos from France, California, and Italy.
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Ocean Blue Prime
530 Milton Rd, Rye
Ocean Blue Prime boasts an impressive selection of 500 wines and 4,500 bottles in its inventory. Not only does the restaurant stand out for its diverse wines, but it offers sophisticated bites from both the land and sea as well.
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Award of Excellence
The Award of Excellence is awarded to 2,001 restaurants. These restaurants have a selection of at least 90 bottles and feature a well-chosen assortment. Wine Spectator mentions, “Whether compact or extensive, focused or diverse, these lists deliver sufficient choice to satisfy discerning wine lovers.”
Augustine’s Salumeria
213 Halstead Ave, Mamaroneck
Augustine’s has made its mark on Westchester with its unique, seasonal fare and curated wine list. Not only is it beloved by locals, but the pasta joint has also been included in the Michelin Guide for 2023 and earned an Award of Excellence for its ever-changing selection of 95 wines.
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Fogo de Chão
235 Main St, White Plains
This Brazilian steakhouse is recognized for its selection of vinos from California, Argentina, and Chile.
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Morton’s, The Steakhouse
5 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains
Located in the heart of downtown White Plains, this steakhouse was recognized for its 275-bottle selection of wine. With 1,500 bottles in its inventory, the eatery boasts a strong selection of Californian wines.
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One Rare Italian Steakhouse
16 East Pkwy, Scarsdale
This family-owned and -operated steakhouse has everything from classic cuts to wagyu beef on its menu. It also has a curated selection of 305 wines with about 2,800 bottles in its inventory.
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3 Westerly Bar & Grill
3 Westerly Rd, Ossining
With its scenic river views and delicious surf-and-turf menu, 3 Westerly is not to be missed. It is a new addition to the Wine Spectator list and joins the other recognized eateries with a list of 145 wines.
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Related: 7 Elegant French Bistros for Fine Dining in Westchester County
