Maldives Promotion House – The wine list of Vilu Restaurant of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island was recently granted “Best of Award of Excellence” after becoming part of the 2011 Wine Spectator’s selection of “Where to find the world’s best wine lists”.

Along with Conrad, the wine list of The Trio Restaurant, in Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa also received an “Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator.

Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Wine List Awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

To qualify for an award, the list must present complete, accurate wine information. It must include vintages and appellations for all selections, including wines available by the glass.

Complete producer names and correct spellings are mandatory, while the overall presentation and appearance of the list is also taken into consideration. After meeting these basic requirements, lists are judged for one of the three awards, the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence, and the Grand Award.

The basic award, Award of Excellence, is for lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style. Typically, these lists offer at least 100 selections.

The second-tier award, Best of Award of Excellence, gives special recognition to restaurants that clearly exceed the requirements of the Award of Excellence. These lists typically offer 400 or more selections, along with superior presentation, and display either vintage depth, with several vertical offerings of top wines, or excellent breadth across several wine regions.

The highest award, Grand Award, is given to restaurants that show an uncompromising, passionate devotion to the quality of their wine program. These restaurants typically offer 1,500 selections or more, and feature serious breadth of top producers, outstanding depth in mature vintages, a selection of large-format bottles, excellent harmony with the menu and superior organization, presentation and wine service.