Wine lovers rejoice! There’s now yet another reason to book a reservation at Ember – We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort’s fine dining experience. Last month, Ember was awarded the coveted Wine Spectator® “Best of Award of Excellence” making Ember one of only 1,000 restaurants in the entire world to hold the honor. It is the first time a Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation enterprise has received the award.
To be eligible to receive this award, restaurants must display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and a significant vertical depth of top producers and superior presentation. Restaurants must also offer 350 or more selections and show a deep commitment to wine not only through their choice of labels, but also through the knowledge of the service staff.
“Winning a Restaurant Award from Wine Spectator means that you are in the company of the world’s greatest beverage programs,” said Zachary Kameron, wine director of new Best of Award of Excellence winner Peak in New York. “For me personally, it means validation for all of the overnights, marathon stocking sessions, tirelessly poring over distributor inventories and offerings, and all of the other efforts that go into putting a wine program together.”
Ember is now one of 19 restaurants out of 9,000 in the State of Arizona to achieve this award and now finds itself in the company of some of the premier restaurants in the Phoenix Area.
“The ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ really belongs to our advanced sommelier Dennis Payne, whose 31 years of experience and painstaking efforts over the past year have resulted in this impeccable award-winning wine list,” added Zac Gallo, Executive Director of Food and Beverage for the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort. “Not only has Dennis cultivated an extensive wine and spirit program, but he ensures the proper care, storage and handling of our collection to maximize our guests’ dining experiences.”
Ember’s wine program covers seventeen countries, focusing on each country’s top wine-producing regions and most highly acclaimed vineyards. It includes 517 wines by the bottle and 26 wines by the glass – ranging from a strong California presence to Barbaresco, Rioja, New Zealand, Argentina and Germany – along with 30 Dessert Wines from across the globe as well as 15 Ports and Madeiras.
In addition, Ember has a special page in their 37-page wine list titled “The Century Club,” dedicated to the world’s top 100-point wines. Curated for fine wine collectors, this list contains 32 critically acclaimed wines spanning more than two decades that have scored a perfect 100 points.
To view Ember’s extensive and award-winning wine list, click here.
To book a reservation at Ember, click here.
