Vintners & Growers debut first-ever Monterey Wine List Awards.

There's a strategy Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association  brought to bear two years back that proved surprising.

That strategy: Prioritize local wines on the lists of Monterey County restaurants.

The surprise: You mean that wasn't already the case?!

Sure enough, as little as 14 percent of wine lists were local when MCVGA started its push about two years back, as I detailed in the piece "Monterey County Vintners and Growers' new leader makes smart strategic inroads."

That's changing.

To help honor the progress, MCVGA, in partnership with the Monterey County Business Council, just announced its inaugural Monterey Wine List Award winners.

Local restaurants from King City to Big Sur were recognized for prioritizing local wines on their wine lists.

Matt Shea, president of the MCVGA and vineyard manager for Bernardus Winery, helps illuminate why it's an important bit of recognition.

“The local restaurants are great partners in our community,” he says. “Monterey County is a special place, renowned for having some of the world’s best restaurants. It is simply good business to feature some of the world’s best wines—especially those made from our local vineyards.”

Kim Stemler, executive director of the MCVGA, believes it's an ideal time to deepen programs that feature area goods.

“Consumers are interested in locally sourced menus, this includes not only foods but wines as well," she says. "This restaurant recognition program helps consumers easily identify restaurants that share the ‘farm to fork, vineyard to glass’ philosophy. And there is no place better than Monterey County to feature locally produced foods and wines considering our natural bounty.

“This program is one way we can share our appreciation for the restaurants that feature local Monterey wines.”

Each of the 50 award winners on the wine list featured at least 25 percent of Monterey wines on their by-the-glass offerings or least 25 different Monterey wines on their overall wine list.

It's no coincidence that there isn't a bad restaurant on the list.

•••Monterey Wine List Awards 2016 Recipients•••

Big Sur

Nepenthe

Restaurant at Ventana

Rocky Point Restaurant

Carmel

Anton & Michel

Basil

Billy Quon's Sur

Brophy's Tavern

Casanova

Flying Fish Grill

La Bicyclette

Little Napoli

Mission Ranch

Pacific's Edge Restaurant

Rio Grill

Terry's at Cypress Inn

Vesuvio

Carmel Valley

Edgar's at Quail Lodge

Los Laureles Lodge

Roux

Valley Kitchen at Carmel Valley Ranch

Will's Fargo Restaurant

Gonzales

Luigi's Italian Restaurant

King City

Cork and Plough

Monterey

Alvarado Street Brewery

The C Restaurant

Cindy's Waterfront, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Hula's Island Grill

Jacks Restaurant and Lounge

Melville Tavern

Montrio Bistro

Old Fisherman's Grotto

Peter B's

Sardine Factory

Schooners Coastal Kitchen

Tarpy's Roadhouse

Tusca Ristorante by Hyatt

Pacific Grove

Fandango Restaurant

jeninni kitchen + wine bar

Tillie Gort's Cafe

Pebble Beach

Stillwater Bar and Grill

The Bench

The Tap Room

Pèppoli at Pebble Beach

Porter’s in the Forest

Roy’s at Pebble Beach

Spyglass Hill Grill

Sticks

Traps

Salinas

Gino's Fine Italian

Giorgio’s at 201 Main

Patria

Zeph's One Stop