Alto Restaurant Receives 2008 Wine Spectator Grand Award

NEW YORK, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Wine Spectator, America's foremost wine publication, named Alto as one of the three winners of the 2008 Grand Award, its most coveted honor. The Northern Italian restaurant from Chris Cannon and Chef Michael White is located in New York City.

Alto joins the ranks of only 72 other restaurants worldwide to hold this lofty distinction -- one that recognizes wine lists with upwards of 1500 selections that exhibit vintage depth as well as an excellent breadth of major wine growing regions.

"We were thrilled with this honor," owner Chris Cannon said. "Our team worked diligently to create a wine list filled with unique varietals, up-and-coming producers and timeless selections to continue our tradition of offering guests an unforgettable dining experience."

Created by Wine Director Eric Zillier, the wine list at Alto pays homage to the Northern Italian region the restaurant celebrates. The wine list offers 2350 selections, with a heavy focus on Northern Italian whites and reds, but also a large selection of well-priced vintage Bordeaux and Burgundies, including an impressive collection of White Burgundies. The list boasts over 200 bottles priced at $60 or less and 16 selections available by the glass.

The extensive list complements Chef White's precise flavors and preparations.

This great honor is the most recent in a list of accolades for Alto including a recent three-star review from The New York Times.

Alto is located at 11 E. 53rd Street, New York, 212.308.1099. Alto is open for lunch Monday-Friday from 12:00 PM-2:30 PM; dinner Monday-Thursday from 5:30 PM-10:30 PM and Friday-Saturday from 5:00 PM-11:00 PM. For more information, please visit http://www.altorestaurant.com or contact Kate Schwab kate@bullfrogandbaum.com