California restaurant wins title second year in a row
When paired well, wine and food have the ability to lift each other up, each enhanced by the other. These 10 U.S. wineries, nominated by a panel of American wine experts and voted the best in the nation by our readers, not only produce top-notch wines, they also operate excellent on-site restaurants where diners enjoy local cuisine, often made with local, seasonal ingredients, and paired with fantastic wines.
The Restaurant at Leoness Temecula, Calif.
Leoness Cellars wines accompany the fresh salads, appetizers, flat breads and chef selections served al fresco at this Temecula Valley Wine Country restaurant. Winning dishes from the Leoness Cellars kitchen include Fanny Bay oysters, duck confit ravioli, honey smoked salmon and hand-cut truffle fries. Photo courtesy of Leoness Cellars
The Restaurant at Westport Winery Garden Resort Aberdeen, Wash.
Fresh, healthy and homemade – these three words describe the food on offer at Westport Winery Garden Resort in Washington. The beverage menu includes 32 wines, 2 ciders and craft beer from Blackbeard Brewing Company, served alongside dishes like pan-fried oysters, crab louie, benedictine quiche or baked fish and chips. Photo courtesy of Westport Winery Garden Resort
The Restaurant at Four Daughters Vineyard Spring Valley, Minn.
Situated in rural Southeastern Minnesota, the restaurant at Four Daughters Vineyard serves a sizable menu of small plates, with options ranging from cheese and charcuterie to crab rangoon flatbread and pork belly BLTs. Photo courtesy of Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery
Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards Dobson, N.C.
Diners at Harvest Grill on the grounds of Shelton Vineyards are treated to an upscale menu served in a bistro-style setting, either in a cozy dining room or enclosed patio. The menu of sophisticated comfort food includes dishes like truffle butter shoe string fries, Maryland-style cornbread crab cakes, pan-roasted duck breast or buttermilk fried chicken salad. Photo courtesy of Shelton Vineyards
Flower Hill Bistro at Miramonte Winery Temecula Valley, Calif.
Flower Hill Bistro, Miramonte Winery's restaurant in Temecula Valley, serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. The compact menu of housemade specialties showcases California's fresh produce, with options like herb-roasted cauliflower, a shaved Brussels sprouts and baby kale salad and a 24-hour brined Piri Piri chicken with herbed Cannellini beans. Photo courtesy of Miramonte Winery / Facebook
Coopers Hall Winery and Taproom Portland, Ore.
The first winery in Oregon dedicated to keg production, Coopers Hall Winery welcomes guests to the Taproom, featuring 44 taps of wine, beer and cider (more dedicated to wine than anywhere else in the Pacific Northwest), served alongside a menu of cheese plates, appetizers, salads, sandwiches and internationally inspired mains. Photo courtesy of Wildpine Photography
Grapevine Grill at Chaumette Vineyards & Winery Ste. Genevieve, Mo.
Headed by Executive Chef Rob Beasley, Grapevine Grill at Chaumette Vineyards in Missouri's wine country serves farm-to-fork New American cuisine with Cajun, Creole and Southwestern influences. Thursday evenings are Cajun Night, with options like cashew crusted catfish, jambalaya or blackened chicken pasta. Photo courtesy of Chaumette Vineyards & Winery
Hoist House at Swiftwater Cellars Cle Elum, Wash.
Guests dining at the Hoist House Restaurant and Fireside Lounge at Swiftwater Cellars can choose to eat inside or on the expansive patio overlooking the Rope Rider Golf Course. With a focus on sourcing from local purveyors, the menu at Hoist House is diverse – kung pao calamari, smoked pork belly with Thai BBQ sauce, peach and prosciutto flatbread or Dungeness crab orzo pasta. Photo courtesy of Swiftwater Cellars
Fork and Spoon at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards Pittsburg, Texas
Fork and Spoon, the restaurant at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards in Pittsburg, Texas, features live jazz on Fridays and Saturdays to accompany a menu of wood-fired pizzas, tapas, salads and cheese platters. Outdoor seating affords stellar views when the weather permits (and it often does). Photo courtesy of Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch St. Helena, Calif.
Located on the grounds of Long Meadow Ranch – a winery and ranch devoted to organic farming and sustainable agriculture – Farmstead features post-and-beam architecture, soaring ceilings and enough rusticity that you never forget its more humble beginnings. Refined and sophisticated, the restaurant highlights terrific ingredients, transforming them into satisfying dishes like grass-fed steak tartare, "brick-cooked" chicken and wood-grilled heritage pork chop. Photo courtesy of Shea Evans
The top 10 winners in the category Best Winery Restaurant are as follows:
The Restaurant at Leoness - Temecula, Calif.
The Restaurant at Westport Winery Garden Resort - Aberdeen, Wash.
The Restaurant at Four Daughters Vineyard - Spring Valley, Minn.
Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards - Dobson, N.C.
Flower Hill Bistro at Miramonte Winery - Temecula Valley, Calif.
Hoist House at Swiftwater Cellars - Cle Elum, Wash.
Fork and Spoon at Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards - Pittsburg, Texas
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch - St. Helena, Calif.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Jill Barth (L’occasion), Jil Child (Wine Tours of the World) and Karen MacNeil were chosen based on their deep knowledge of the American wine landscape.
Jill Barth is an American journalist covering... Read More
Jill Barth is an American journalist covering wine, food and travel. She's the author of the award-winning wine blog, L'Occasion, and a contributor at Forbes.com and USA TODAY 10Best Eat Sip Trip. Jill is a Provence Wine Master from the Wine Scholar Guild and was a 2018 Fellow at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.
Jill Barth
Jill Barth is an American journalist covering wine, food and travel. She's the author of the award-winning wine blog, L'Occasion, and a contributor at Forbes.com and USA TODAY 10Best Eat Sip Trip. Jill is a Provence Wine Master from the Wine Scholar Guild and was a 2018 Fellow at the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers. Find her on Instagram and Twitter.
Jil Child
Jil earned a B.A. in Economics, with an emphasis... Read More
Jil earned a B.A. in Economics, with an emphasis in business wine, from Sonoma State University and is a certified Sommelier. She is a partner and co-owner of Wine Tours of the World, a full service global wine tour company specializing in custom wine vacations. She has worked with and consulted with wineries and is an expert in many different positions including sales, distribution, education, events and private wine tasting tours. She teaches Tasting Room Management at Sonoma State University and is a professional wine judge for various wine competitions throughout the U.S.
Jil Child
Jil earned a B.A. in Economics, with an emphasis in business wine, from Sonoma State University and is a certified Sommelier. She is a partner and co-owner of Wine Tours of the World, a full service global wine tour company specializing in custom wine vacations. She has worked with and consulted with wineries and is an expert in many different positions including sales, distribution, education, events and private wine tasting tours. She teaches Tasting Room Management at Sonoma State University and is a professional wine judge for various wine competitions throughout the U.S.
Karen MacNeil
One of the foremost wine experts in the United... Read More
One of the foremost wine experts in the United States, Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won every major wine award given in the English Language. In a full-page profile on her, TIME Magazine called Karen, “America’s Missionary of the Vine.”
Karen is the author of the award-winning book, THE WINE BIBLE, the single best selling wine book in the United States, with more than one million copies sold. Known for her passion and unique style, she conducts seminars and presentations for corporate clients worldwide. The former wine correspondent for the Today Show on NBC, Karen was also the host of the PBS series Wine, Food and Friends with Karen MacNeil, for which she won an Emmy. And finally, Karen is the creator and Chairman Emeritus of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, which has been called the “Harvard” of wine education. Follow Karen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Karen MacNeil
One of the foremost wine experts in the United States, Karen MacNeil is the only American to have won every major wine award given in the English Language. In a full-page profile on her, TIME Magazine called Karen, “America’s Missionary of the Vine.”
Karen is the author of the award-winning book, THE WINE BIBLE, the single best selling wine book in the United States, with more than one million copies sold. Known for her passion and unique style, she conducts seminars and presentations for corporate clients worldwide. The former wine correspondent for the Today Show on NBC, Karen was also the host of the PBS series Wine, Food and Friends with Karen MacNeil, for which she won an Emmy. And finally, Karen is the creator and Chairman Emeritus of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, which has been called the “Harvard” of wine education. Follow Karen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
