3 Wash. Restaurants Make Elite Wine Enthusiast List

SEATTLE, WA — Diners who want a truly fine glass or bottle of wine with their meal — we’re not judging! — don’t want to fly blind and take a chance on a disappointing pour. Wine Enthusiast magazine just published a useful guide that profiles the great wine restaurants in 38 states and Puerto Rico, including Washington.

The magazine compiles the list of the 100 best wine restaurants every year, looking for “eateries that incorporate wine in thoughtful and exciting ways.”

The restaurants aren’t arranged according to preference, as a ranking would be, and there’s no matrix for the number of bottles of wine on hand, prices or the types of food the restaurant serves.

“Instead,” Wine Enthusiast wrote, “it is a selection of restaurants where wine is shared and celebrated, and where, in our experiences, the selection, food, service and atmosphere are all exceptional.”

The 100 best wine restaurants are found in the following states and Puerto Rico: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

In Washington, three restaurants made the cut.

RN74, 1433 4th Ave, Seattle
Why Wine Experience loves it: Over 1,000 wines to choose from, plus shellfish offerings.

Walla Walla Steak Company, 416 N 2nd Ave, Walla Walla
Why Wine Experience loves it: Focus on local Washington wines, plus the attached brewery.

Willows Inn, 2579 West Shore Drive, Lummi Island
Why Wine Experience loves it: "Known for Chef Blaine Wetzel’s extensive efforts to use local ingredients, this venue’s wilderness-to-table ethos doesn’t stop at the food. The seasonally changing wine list is 100% Pacific Northwest-focused."

Read the complete list.