The names of the award-winning restaurants were released in Wine Spectator’s annual dining guide in the August issue of the magazine. 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. The list is recognized as one of the top wine lists in the world. When reviewing lists for award consideration, judges look at items such as the wine selection, wine strengths, wine pricing, and also if the restaurant has a wine director or wine sommelier, among other things.

“We worked very hard to build an interesting wine list and are so proud to have been recognized with this award,” said Christian Leo, General Manager, Ruth’s Chris Steak House. “It is our hope that this award will create an awareness in the area that wine is both approachable and affordable as demonstrated by our bi-monthly wine dinners at the restaurant that are both educational and fun.”

The Metz Group wanted a strong focus on fine wine to enhance the fine dining experience at their Ruth’s Chris Steak House. The wine list contains 316 wines by the bottle and 32 by the glass, with bottle prices range from $36 to $685. In addition to serving as the restaurant’s General Manager, Leo is also the resident wine expert, educating guests on the various wines and making recommendations that pair well with their meal selections. “We’ve learned that our guests are already very knowledgeable about wine and really enjoy the finer wines, as well as sampling new wines they might not have previously tried,” Leo said. The more popular bottle selections at the restaurant include Franciscan Cabernet, Jordan Cabernet and Caymus Conundrum,while B.R. Cohn Silver Label Cabernet is their best selling wine by the glass.

The Metz Group’s wine mentality extends beyond just the wine list at Ruth’s Chris, as the restaurant also hosts regular wine dinners to showcase various wines and introduce guests to new wines they might not have previously tried. An exciting upcoming wine dinner, featuring a selection of vintages from the world-renowned Dr. Loosen Estate in Germany, is scheduled to be held at Ruth’s Chris inside Mohegan Sun on Thursday, August 20 beginning with an hors d’oeuvre reception at 6:30 p.m. and followed by a 5-course sit down dinner at 7:00pm featuring a different wine pairing with each course. The wine dinner will be offered for $95pp.

As an added treat for those guests in attendance, Ernst Loosen, the winemaker, will be on hand to present and discuss the wines. Loosen was born into a great tradition of German winemaking, as the Dr. Loosen estate on the Mosel River has been in his family for over 200 years. He completed studies at Germany’s renowned winemaking school in Geisenheim and then launched into a self-directed review of the great wines of the world. He traveled to Austria, to Burgundy and Alsace, even to California. He went wherever great wine was being made, seeking out the best winemakers to find out what they had in common. What he discovered was that they all share a dedication to producing intense, concentrated wines that boldly proclaim their heritage. They also have a worldly outlook that allows them to maintain it is Ernst’s philosophy that balances the old world with the new world that has allowed him to move beyond the easy and familiar, the tried and not necessarily so true, to make wines that stand out as truly distinctive and world-class.

For more information on the wine dinner featuring the wines of the Dr. Loosen Estate, please call Ruth’s Chris Steak House at 570.208.2266.

The Metz Group owns and operates Metz & Associates, Ltd., one of the top 25 dining and environmental management companies in the United States, which provides services locally to Misericordia University, The Dallas School District, Pocono Medical Center, Mercy Hospital in Scranton, Sallie Mae, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, as well as the recently awarded Scranton Prep. The Metz Group also operates 13 T.G.I. Friday’s Restaurants in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including T.G.I. Friday’s in Wilkes-Barre and Dickson City. The Metz Group also operates Wolfgang Puck Express in the food court at Mohegan Sun. For more information, visit our website at www.metzltd.com or call 570.675.8100.