Portland's Back Bay Grill restaurant has been awarded the Cellar Excellence Award from Wine Spectator magazine for the tenth year running. The Award of Excellence is awarded each year by Wine Spectator to restaurants that offer at least 100 different wine selections from a diverse spectrum of geographic origins and grape varietals.

Back Bay Grill's wine list has been praised for its comprehensive Californian and Bordeaux wines, as well as the breadth of the overall list: over 300 wines are available at the restaurant. Some wines are available by half-bottle, and the selection of full bottles offer a spectrum of flavors as well as a wide range of prices. The restaurant also carries wines available by the glass.

Winners of the Award of Excellence match wines to their menus thematically, and Back Bay Grill's choices are no exception. Updated seasonally, the restaurant's dinner menu features sophisticated American flavors and simple elegance. Wine Buyer and General Manager Adrian Stratton is the individual responsible for coordinating the wine list with the ever-changing menu and notes that from time to time, wines on the list are replaced with other interesting wines from all over the world in order to keep the list fresh and relevant to the food being served.

"We are extremely honored to receive the Award of Excellence again this year," Stratton says, "and hope to continue this ten-year tradition well into the future."
Back Bay Grill is open for dinner and drinks six days a week. Reservations are recommended.