UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the fourth year in a row, The Dining Room at The Nittany Lion Inn, on the Penn State University Park campus, has received Wine Spectator magazine’s “Best of” Award of Excellence — the highest wine list award achieved in the history of the inn.
The Dining Room joins an exclusive group of dining establishments whose wine lists have earned this honor: Only 19 restaurants in Pennsylvania — and no other establishments in State College — hold the “Best of” designation.
Wine Spectator cited wines from California, Oregon, France and Italy as strengths of The Dining Room’s wine list.
“The 2019 ‘Best of’ status shows that we continue to boast one of the best wine lists in the state,” said Sean Caviston, restaurant operations manager and wine director at The Nittany Lion Inn. “Since our first ‘Best of’ award in 2015, my goal has remained the same: To have a wine list that offers something for all levels of wine drinkers. Whether our guest is a casual drinker looking for value, or someone who has developed a discerning palate for the world’s best wines, we can meet anyone’s needs with our 650-bottle wine list.”
Caviston continually works to improve the level and scope of offerings on The Dining Room’s wine list, as well as to enhance wine education opportunities for guests. Through the popular “Tastes of the World: A Wine Dinner Series,” for example, guests learn about the cuisine and wines of different regions of the world as they wine and dine. The Dining Room also offers a winemaker dinner series, featuring such producers as Eberle Winery (Paso Robles, California), Two Hands (Australia), and Chris James (Oregon).
According to the Wine Spectator website, “Best of” awards are given to wine lists that “display excellent breadth across multiple winegrowing regions and/or significant vertical depth of top producers, along with superior presentation. Typically offering 350 or more selections, these restaurants are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team.”
All Wine Spectator award winners are featured in the magazine’s Aug. 31 issue, available at newsstands.