3 Newton Restaurants Earn 2022 Wine Spectator Awards

NEWTON, MA — Three Newton restaurants have won a 2022 Restaurant Award from Wine Spectator Magazine.

Wine Spectator unveiled the 2022 Restaurant Awards 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 more than 70 countries.

In Massachusetts, 80 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 have received the coveted Grand Award. That includes two in the Bay State: Grill 23 & Bar (161 Berkeley St, Boston), which made the list in 2017, and Topper's at The Wauwinet (The Wauwinet Inn, 120 Wauwinet Road, Nantucket), which earned the accolade in 1996.

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, including the three Newton recipients.

The Best of Award of Excellence is given to restaurants that "go the extra mile.” These restaurants have lists of 350 or more selections from top producers, with a wide variety of regions and vintage depths. They 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.

Here are Newton's 2022 winners:

Award of Excellence

The Capital Grille (250 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill)

• wine strengths: California
• cuisine: Steak house

Seasons 52 (220 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill)

• wine strengths: California, international
• cuisine: America

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse (55 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill)

• wine strengths: Italy, California
• cuisine: Italian, Steak house