TORONTO — Toronto’s Bar Isabel has earned the Wine Spectator 2019 Award of Excellence. Restaurants from more than 75 countries were evaluated on their wine lists — including selection, producers, quality, vintages and the meaningful connection to the restaurants overall style and price-point.
“It’s an honour to have Bar Isabel awarded Wine Spectator’s 2019 Award of Excellence, as we’ve worked hard to create a quality curated wine list for our guests,” says Alessandro Pietropaolo, co-owner & general manager of Bar Isabel. “I’m proud our little wine list, which started out with just 20 bottles in 2013, has grown to now feature 250 bottles and has been recognized with this award.”
The restaurant’s notable wine program is managed by Pietropaolo and the restaurant’s certified sommelier, Paul Hardy.
Bar Isabel’s wine list is a thoughtful selection of approximately 250 labels with a focus on old-world Iberian wines, while mixing in lesser-known regions, such as Eastern Europe, Lebanon, Georgia, North Africa and Canada. Highlights include a selection of hard-to-find iconic Rioja producers, such as Telmo Rodriguez, Lopez de Heredia, a broad selection of Canary Islands wines and an extensive selection of vintage-dated Pedro Ximenez sweet wines — the oldest by the glass being from the 1931 vintage.
The complete list of award winners is available online at restaurants.winespectator.com.
