Wine Spectator honored 34 Connecticut venues for excellence in its 2019 Restaurant Awards. Announced in July, the annual list highlights restaurants around the globe for their wine lists. “Best of” Award of Excellence designations were given to Artisan in Southport and West Hartford; Barcelona Wine Bar in Fairfield, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford and West Hartford; The Capital Grille in Stamford and Hartford; Caputo Trattoria in Mashantucket; Castello Restaurant in Danbury; Cava Restaurant in Southington; David Burke Prime Steakhouse in Ledyard; The Essex in Centerbrook; Fife ’n Drum Restaurant & Inn in Kent; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in West Hartford; The Griswold Inn Wine Bar in Essex; Kensington’s in Norwich; La Foresta Restaurant & Wine Bar in Killingworth; L’Escale Restaurant and Tavern in Greenwich; Max Downtown in Hartford; Millwright’s Restaurant in Simsbury; The North House in Avon; Nouveau Monde Wine Bar & Bistro in Sandy Hook; Porrón & Piña in Hartford; Rebeccas in Greenwich; The Restaurant in Mystic; Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Newington; Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill in New Haven; 2 Hopewell in Glastonbury; Viron Rondo Osteria in Cheshire; Vue 24 in Mashantucket; Winvian Farm Restaurant in Morris; and Zinc in New Haven.