Artisan receives first award for an “Amazing Laser Focused Wine List” from Wine Enthusiast, the Leading Wine Lifestyle Publication, in their sixth annual issue
Paso Robles, CA – Artisan, Paso Robles’ leading restaurant, is proud to announce it is among the selected group of winners for the annual Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants of 2016.
As one of only eleven winners in the “Amazing Laser Focused Wine List” category, Artisan was recognized for their outstanding wine program curated by Wine Director Shandi Kobayashi.
Artisan is the only recipient from Paso Robles, recognized as a leading region for winemaking in the Central Coast of California.
Shandi Kobayashi affirms that the driving force behind the entire restaurant is to support local and sustainable practices – for both food and wine. “We are fortunate to be located in the heart of one of the most amazing wine producing areas in the United States so we have chosen to focus our list on the wines of the Central California Coast, with a major emphasis on Paso Robles (sparkling being the only exception due to our climate),” states Shandi. Artisan’s close proximity to the wineries featured on the list allows for regular staff visits to these wineries in order to train directly with the winemakers. Shandi also arranges for the winemakers come to the restaurant to do comprehensive staff tastings, thereby offering guests a well educated team when they have questions or need recommendations on the wines. Artisan’s list includes several wines on tap and a regularly changing list of three flights to allow guests to easily sample wines which represent the local terroir.
Each year, the magazine’s team of editors combs the country in search of restaurants that they feel reflect the best, brightest and most progressive wine and food experiences available today.
“This is not a list of the best wine programs but rather a list of restaurants where wine, food, service and atmosphere are all integral to the overall experience – with an emphasis on discovery – much like the magazine itself.” See this year’s full list online here.
“This is a highly subjective list reflecting Wine Enthusiast’s dedication to not only legendary wine establishments but also those that are reflecting or pushing new and exciting trends in the market,” explains Susan Kostrzewa, Executive Editor of Wine Enthusiast. “There’s an incredible amount of diversity and experimentation happening with wine in the restaurant space right now and our list reflects this variety – from small lists that are redrawn every day, to massive tomes that reflect decades of cellaring – and similarly, the food ranges from an upscale hot dog hangout in New York wine country to the peak of fine dining.”
Categorized by special features and trends rather than by a ranking system, this year’s 100 Best Wine Restaurant List includes 24 “Classics,” restaurants at least a decade old that continue to be on the forefront of the national wine and food conversation as well as 17 “Grand Openings”. Open since the beginning of 2015, these spots are already enriching their communities and influencing the national scene.
Other categories include “Tasting Menus” (restaurants that exclusively offer a chef’s choice tasting menu); “Great Glass Programs” (restaurants with exceptional by-the-glass lists); “Laser Focus” (eateries whose wine lists are narrow in focus, and whose staff has deep knowledge and expertise in those areas); “Steakhouse 2.0” (innovative steakhouses challenging conventional dogma around wine-and-meat pairing); and lastly “Not to Be Missed,” restaurants who simply defy category.
Additional editorial highlights include joint Chef and Sommelier Q&A’s, exclusive recipes, observations and passions of several influential wine directors, a separate stand alone story highlighting “Under the Radar Food Cities,” and exclusively for online, restaurants’ “riot dishes” — dishes that could cause a riot if they dared take them off the menu.
ABOUT ARTISAN:
ARTISAN has been embraced by locals, travelers and journalists around the nation. ARTISAN has successfully become a family business and integral part of the growing Paso Robles community which has developed into a richly diverse wine country destination. ARTISAN and the Kobayashi family remain committed to sourcing locally and serving organic, sustainable fare whenever possible. There is a long-standing relationship with local farmers as well as an ongoing project where they grow their own produce on a local organic farm in nearby Templeton (founded in 2011). These practices showcase Paso Robles and the Central Coast and have elevated the region to a respected culinary destination. In addition to produce from the ARTISAN farm, the restaurant features products from Windrose Farm, Rocky Canyon Farm and Charter Oak. The kitchen’s respect for local farmers and food artisans is enhanced by Kobayashi’s use of time- honored techniques that show reverence for the products. ARTISAN’s menus appeal to a broad audience of loyal locals and visitor’s far and wide with diverse tastes in dining.
ABOUT WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE:
Wine Enthusiast Magazine educates and entertains readers about wine and the wine lifestyle in an accessible and user-friendly way. Published 13 times per year, the magazine’s readership is more than 800,000. The magazine and its Buying Guide with more than 100,000 ratings and reviews are available online. The magazine hosts signature Wine Enthusiast events for both consumer and trade. www.WineMag.com
