Restaurant Poll

Wine & Spirits Magazine recently released the results of its 22nd annual Restaurant Poll, reporting on the most popular wines in America’s top restaurants for the fourth quarter of 2010.

Sommeliers commented that their high-end clients were spending more generously, specifically on the classics rather than cult wines. And overall, they report that wine sales are on the rise after a two-year hiatus. A total of 62.6 percent of respondents said wine sales had increased as a percentage of their restaurant’s total sales; meanwhile, the average price for the most popular wines in restaurants has hovered at $62 for the last five years.

This year’s exclusive report appears in Wine & Spirits’ April issue. The poll ranks the popularity of wines by brand, variety and country of origin, as reported by sommeliers representing Zagat Survey’s most popular restaurants across the U.S.

This year, Oregon had four in the Top 50; they included: King Estate (ranked #12), Elk Cove (32), Domaine Drouhin (43) and Argyle (49).