Ybor City's longstanding and famous Columbia Restaurant won the distinguished “Best of Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator magazine.
Awarded earlier this week, the "Best of Award of Excellence" is not Columbia's first time winning the award from Wine Spectator, nor its second, or third, or fourth. This is actually the TENTH year in a row this beloved Tampa restaurant has won the award for its eclectic collection of Spanish wines.
Wine Spectator created a number of criteria for a restaurant or bar to even be considered for this distinction. The restaurant’s wine list must contain 400 or more wines "along with superior presentation, and display either vintage depth, with several vertical offerings of top wines, or excellent breadth across several wine regions" according to the Wine Spectator website.
The Columbia's estimated 1,056 wines and 50,000 bottle inventory spread throughout a 200+ page wine list more than exceeds these qualifications.
Wine Spectator has three levels of awards given each year. They include the first level "Award of Excellence", the second level "Best of Award of Excellence", and the top-tier "Grand Award" awarded to only 73 restaurants throughout the country with 1,500 or more wine selections, "outstanding depth in mature vintages" and other high-level qualifiers.
Aside from Wine Spectator distinctions, the Columbia's won praise from leading winemakers, including Miguel Torres Sr. of Bodegas Torres and Pablo Álvarez of Bodegas Vega Sicilia as having the world’s best collection in the world of wines from Spain.
Fancy yourself a wine lover? Or even a wine appreciator? You owe it to yourself to check out the selection at the original Columbia Restaurant in Ybor. Then, let us know what you think with your own rating and review on Columbia Restaurant 813area business listing.
