57 Arizona Restaurants Earn 2022 Wine Spectator Awards

PHOENIX — While metro areas like New York City and high-profile wine-growing regions like Napa tend to get all the attention, oenophiles shouldn't knock Arizona.

Wine Spectator unveiled the 2022 restaurant award winners, which honor the world's best restaurants for wines. This year's awards program recognized 3,169 dining destinations from all 50 states and in more than 70 countries worldwide.

In Arizona, 57 restaurants earned recognition. Since 1981, the Restaurant Awards have had three distinct levels: The "Award of Excellence," the "Best of Award of Excellence" and the "Grand Award."

Only 97 restaurants around the world received the coveted Grand Award. No Arizona restaurant earned that rare distinction, but 21 Arizona establishments earned Best of Award of Excellence honors.

The Best of Award of Excellence is given to restaurants that "go the extra mile," with lists of 350 or more selections from top producers, with a wide variety of regions and vintage depths. These restaurants might also carefully design the presentations of the list, train their staff to assist diners with the list and have curated wine dinners, according to Wine Spectator. Worldwide, 1,290 restaurants received the Best of Award of Excellence award.

Then there's the Award of Excellence, given to restaurants that carefully choose their wine lists to have 100 or more selections, containing both quality and diverse wines, according to the magazine. There were 1,782 Award of Excellence winners this year.

Here are Arizona's 2022 winners:

Best of Award of Excellence

Anhelo (114 W. Adams St., Suite C103, Phoenix, AZ)

• Wine strengths: Burgundy, Bordeaux, California, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Bourbon Steak (Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine strengths: Burgundy, California. Bordeaux, Italy
• Cuisine: American, steakhouse

Café Monarch (6939 E. First Ave., Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Che Ah Chi (Enchantment Resort, 525 Boynton Canyon Road, Sedona, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: American, Regional

Elements (Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurneys Resort and Spa, 5700 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, Bordeaux, France
• Cuisine: American, Asian

Ember (We Ko Pa Casino Resort, 10438 N Fort McDowell Rd, Fort McDowell, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

FLG Terroir Wine Bar & Bistro (17 N. San Francisco St., Flagstaff, AZ)

• Wine strengths: France, California, Italy, Spain, Arizona
• Cuisine: American, small plates

Feast (3719 E. Speedway Blvd. Tucson, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, Italy
• Cuisine: American

Geordie's (The Wrigley Mansion, 2501 E. Telawa Trail, Phoenix, AZ)

• Wine Strengths: California, France, Italy, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Spain
• Cuisine: French, seasonal

J&G Steakhouse (The Phoenician Resort, 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine Strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

Lon's at the Hermosa (The Hermosa Inn, 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road, Paradise Valley, AZ)

• Wine Strengths: California, France, Arizona
• Cuisine: American, Farm-to-table

Maple & Ash (7135 E. Camelback Road, Suite 130, Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine Strengths: California, Burgundy, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, steakhouse

Mastro's City Hall Steakhouse (6991 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

Mastro's Ocean Club (15045 N. Kierland Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

Mastro's Steakhouse (8852 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

Orange Sky (Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: Regional, steakhouse

Tarbell's (3213 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Burgundy
• Cuisine: American

Tarbell's the Tavern (3209 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, Burgundy, Italy, Champagne
• Cuisine: American

The Capital Grille (16489 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California
• Cuisine: Steakhouse

The Grill at Hacienda Del Sol (Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, 5501 N. Hacienda del Sol Road, Tucson, AZ)

• Wine strengths: California, France, Italy
• Cuisine: American, regional

Find more info on all 2022 Restaurant Award Winners from Wine Spectator.