Looking for the perfect glass of wine? 5 Knoxville-area spots have award-winning selections

Knoxville's vibrant beer scene is well-known. The wine scene is doing well, too. In fact, it’s award-winning.

Wine Spectator, the premier magazine focused on wine and wine culture, honored five restaurants in the region in its 2024 Restaurant Awards, including three in Knoxville. One restaurant in the Great Smoky Mountains was the only establishment in Tennessee to get the top Grand Award.

The awards honored 3,777 establishments across all 50 U.S. states and 75 countries for their wine selections and how the selections pair with their cuisine and atmosphere to offer a holistic dining experience.

The awards are given in three tiers.

• The Grand Award, the highest honor, was awarded to just 96 restaurants in the world this year. It recognizes recipients with 1,000 or more wines that demonstrate an "unwavering passion and perseverance in strategically building thoughtful, impeccable wine programs," according to Wine Spectator's website.
• The Best of Award of Excellence, the next-highest honor, was awarded to 1,531 restaurants. It recognizes recipients with 350 or more wines of various regions and styles that offer training to staff to help guests select the best wine.
• The Award of Excellence was awarded to 2,150 restaurants. It recognizes recipients with around 90 wines that complement their menus.

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The award recipients will be featured in the magazine's July 9 issue.

The Barn at Blackberry Farm wins Wine Spectator Grand Award

The Barn at Blackberry Farm is the only restaurant in Tennessee to win the Grand Award. Located in Walland, it offers a selection of over 9,000 wines. It has been a winner of the Grand Award since 2006.

The fine dining restaurant has won multiple James Beard Awards, one of the culinary industry's highest honors. The Barn specializes in what it calls "Foothill Cuisine," inspired by seasonal, farm-fresh products and produce grown in the garden near the restaurant.

The restaurant is part of the 4,200-acre Blackberry Farm, a luxury mountain resort located south of Knoxville. Reservations and bookings can be made at blackberryfarm.com.

Three Knoxville-area restaurants are repeat winners

Three restaurants in the area received Awards of Excellence again after previous recognition. They represent three very different kinds of culinary experiences.

• Brazeiros Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse at 6901 Kingston Pike, has received an Award of Excellence since 2013.
• Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro, a rustic farm-to-table restaurant at 137 Apple Valley Way in Townsend, has received an Award of Excellence since 2022.
• Osteria Stella, an authentic Italian restaurant at 108 W. Jackson Ave., has received an Award of Excellence since 2023.

The only East Tennessee restaurant to receive the second tier Best of Award of Excellence this year is St. John’s Restaurant in Chattanooga. It has received the honor since 2017.

One Knoxville restaurant won for the first time

Only one restaurant in Knoxville won a Wine Spectator award for the first time this year.

• Lilou, a French restaurant that just opened this past winter at 428 S. Gay St., received the Award of Excellence.

There were other changes on the list this year, too. Four Knoxville winners from 2023 did not make the 2024 list including Chesapeake's, Harvest, Koyo and Nama Sushi Bar.

The full list 2024 Restaurant Awards winners is available at winespectator.com.