Harlem Restaurant Wins 2021 Wine Spectator Award

HARLEM, NY — A Harlem restaurant with a voluminous wine list and caches of top-notch bottles has received a new honor: a 2021 Restaurant Award from Wine Spectator magazine.

The annual Restaurant Awards honor excellence in restaurant wine lists, and recognize those who have demonstrated passion and devoted extensive resources to creating outstanding wine programs. This year’s awards are featured in the Aug. 31 issue of Wine Spectator.

The Harlem winner is Vinatería, an Italian and Spanish-inspired restaurant on Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Vinatería's wine list consists of "a tour around the countries on the Mediterranean coast," with a focus on winemakers who "seek to preserve scarce and indigenous varietals, according to the restaurant's website.

"We strive to offer unique, intentionally sourced By the Glass and value options, which are balanced by very accessible pricing for our distinguished producers and vintage selections," the website adds.

Other nearby winners include Le Monde in Morningside Heights. More than 100 restaurants across the city took home an award this year.

More than 2,900 restaurants in 50 states and 72 countries and territories earned awards this year. The awards are given across three categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award.

The Grand Award is Wine Spectator’s most prestigious honor, given to the world’s most elite wine programs. Read profiles of all 100 current Grand Award winners.

Typically, recipients of the Grand Award offer at least 1,000 or more wine selections, showcasing “immense depth and breadth of regions, producers, vintages and bottle formats.” All Grand Award winners must also pass a rigorous inspection of their restaurants, including the wine cellars.

Three new restaurants won the Grand Award this year: Brennan's in New Orleans, Le Bernardin in New York and SingleThread Farms in Healdsburg, California.

See all winners of this year’s Wine Spectator awards.