STUDIO EARNS ITS SIXTH CONSECUTIVE WINE SPECTATOR GRAND AWARD

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – Studio, Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star fine dining and elegant signature restaurant at Montage Laguna Beach, is among only 100 winners of the coveted Grand Award 2019 from Wine Spectator magazine. Wine Spectator’s highest level of restaurant wine achievement, the Grand Award, is bestowed on establishments that have world-class wine programs exhibiting a passionate uncompromising commitment to the very best quality level of viticulture. A full profile of 2019 winners will be posted at Restaurants.WineSpectator.com and will appear in the August 31 issue of Wine Spectator, which will be released this month. Two upcoming wine dinners will give diners an opportunity to sample chosen wines that helped contribute to Studio’s recent kudos.

“We are thrilled that Studio has received this honor for the sixth consecutive year and be included as one of only 100 Grand Award restaurants in the United States and 75 countries. This award, a resounding endorsement by Wine Spectator, gives much deserved credit to our talented and hard-working team at Studio,” said Anne-Marie Houston, general manager. “And we recently learned Studio has been welcomed into the Wine Enthusiast Restaurant Hall of Fame as a result of Studio appearing on its “America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants” list more than four times. We are delighted for this additional recognition for our stellar wine program.”

The Grand Award-winning lists usually have 1,000 or more selections, deliver serious breadth of top producers and outstanding depth in mature vintages, in addition to having distinctive selections of large-format bottles. Along with the superior presentation of Studio’s wine list and its fine-tuned harmony with the chef’s menus, Studio has been recognized for offering the highest level of impeccable wine service. 

Studio’s extensive wine list particularly excels in collections produced in California, Burgundy, Rhône, Bordeaux, Italy, Champagne and Spain, and the restaurant’s wine program is comprised of approximately 2,500 selections with 30,000 bottles in inventory. The restaurant’s sommelier team is comprised of three full-time sommeliers, three of whom hold the advanced sommelier diploma from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Ongoing education of the entire hospitality team is a priority at Studio holding weekly blind tastings, as well as the annual sommelier certification examination in conjunction with the Court of Master Sommeliers.  

In addition, the wine list at Studio, which is highly dynamic and constantly evolving, features a variety of formats with a specific focus on half bottles – allowing guests the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of unique wines part of its 375 ml selections. This list includes rare, not widely available, verticals from BOND Estates produced by legendary oenophile Bill Harlan. Upcoming wine events as part of Studio’s 2019 Wine & Spirits Series include Hundred Acre Winery Dinner on October 19 and Riverain Vineyards Dinner on November 16. At each event Chef Benjamin Martinek will create an extravagant five-course dinner to be paired with selections from each participating winery.  

About Studio
Located on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean along the South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, Studio is Montage Laguna Beach’s Forbes Five-Star elegant, free-standing fine dining signature restaurant. Built in the Laguna Beach Craftsman-style, it serves ever-changing innovative Modern California Cuisine with coastal influences and has a working 1,000-square-foot raised bed garden. Studio is known for its tasting menus, impeccable, warm professional service, and Wine Spectator Grand Award wine program, comprised of approximately 2,500 selections with 30,000 bottles in inventory. Studio’s elegant Chef’s Table is available for special private dining. Dining reservations can be made by calling (949) 715-6420.  

About Montage Laguna Beach
Montage Laguna Beach is set on a coastal bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the heart of the vibrant arts community of Laguna Beach, California. The 258-room craftsman-style resort offers 30 acres of oceanfront luxury featuring beachfront accommodations and 23 privately owned Montage Residences. The expansive resort includes a 20,000-sq. ft. Spa Montage; destination dining at Studio Restaurant; a wealth of outdoor recreation including three pools and direct beach access; a fine art collection; and more than 20,000-sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space. Montage Laguna Beach is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts' worldwide collection.  For more information, follow @montagelaguna or visit www.montagehotels.com/lagunabeach. 

About Montage Hotels & Resorts 
Montage Hotels & Resorts is the ultra-luxury hospitality management company founded by Alan J. Fuerstman. Designed to serve the affluent and discerning traveler and homeowner, the company features an artistic collection of distinctive hotels, resorts and residences. Each Montage property offers comfortable elegance, a unique sense of place and spirit, impeccable hospitality and memorable culinary, spa and lifestyle experiences. The portfolio of hotels, resorts and residences includes: Montage Laguna Beach, Montage Beverly Hills, Montage Deer Valley, Montage Kapalua Bay, Montage Palmetto Bluff, and Montage Los Cabos, with Montage Healdsburg opening in 2020 and Montage La Quinta and Montage Big Sky opening 2021. Montage Hotels & Resorts is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. For more information, follow @montagehotels or visit www.montagehotels.com.

About Wine Spectator Magazine
Wine Spectator and www.winespectator.com reach over three million affluent and influential readers and visitors with each issue. In addition to a wide assortment of features on quality wines and spirits, subscribers enjoy articles on fine dining, travel and entertainment. The readership includes business leaders, trendsetters, epicureans, connoisseurs and key trade buyers in the industry.