Sure, Tucson restaurants are known for having delicious cuisine, savory bites, and bright flavors that burst throughout the city, but some are also recognized for having an incredible wine selection.

This year’s Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is honoring eight restaurants in the Tucson area, which includes PY Steakhouse, Maynards Market & Kitchen, Kingfisher, Feast, Primo, The Grill at Hacienda Del Sol, The Lodge at Ventana Canyon, and CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar.

Every year, the Wine Spectator group scours the globe for restaurants with wine lists that offer unique selections, have a mass appeal to a wide range of wine lovers, and go hand in hand with their cuisine.

For example, PY Steakhouse continues to expand its wine list with carefully selected verticals (vintages in a row) such as 2014, 2015, and 2016 vintages of the same producer.

“We currently have over 540 different varietals of wine and feature 3,780 bottles of wine in our inventory,” said Jennifer Aspery,  manager and sommelier at PY Steakhouse. “PY Steakhouse has a wine list that is carefully selected and is eager to please all of our guests from wine novice to those that have a more mature pallet.”

The 2020 awards program is also paying tribute to the restaurant industry during the current global pandemic for the changes each business has made to keep everyone safe.

“I love what I do and most importantly, I love others to enjoy what we have to offer,” said Aspery. “It’s a constant work in progress. Over the past four months, we have taken all the precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our team members and guests.”

Some local spots in town either have limited hours, are strictly to-go only, or have temporarily closed their doors — much like Maynards Market & Kitchen, who is remaining closed until this fall.

Keep an eye out for any changes made to the hours of operation at any of the honored restaurants, and also check out some of the deals they’re offering right now. For instance, Kingfisher is having a sale on their bottles of wine — to-go only.

For more information on the awards, visit winespectator.com.