Wine Enthusiast today announced their 100 best wine restaurants for 2013, a national list that aims to recognize the best restaurants in the country for wine lovers. Unlike some other lists issued by wine magazines, this list doesn't seem to be looking to award stellar wine lists alone, but rather the whole package.

In fact, the intro to the list says:

What defines a Wine Enthusiast Magazine best 100 wine restaurant? Is it the outstanding selection of wines? An innovative menu? Detail-oriented service? Buzzed-about décor? The eateries on our list do all these things and more.

And so, the three L.A. restaurants that made the cut aren't necessarily the restaurants you might imagine — the ones with encyclopedic lists and 4 sommeliers.

This year, Wine Enthusiast calls out Animal, Hatfield's and The Tasting Kitchen. This is the first year Animal has appeared on the list, and the magazine shouts out their one-page list with 20 wines by the glass. For Hatfield's, they mention sommelier Patrick Dorsey's “global wine list that spans boutique producers, biodynamic and organic wines, unusual grapes and heralded vineyards.” And at the Tasting Kitchen, they mention wine director François Renaud's recent revamping of the wine list “to search out selections that are respectful of their terroir and environment, incorporating organic and biodynamic selections whenever possible.”

You can see the entire list of Wine Enthusiast's 100 best wine restaurants in America here.

See also:

– Yes, There Is Going to Be a Downton Abbey Wine

– New Wine Region to Watch: China

– Three Bottles One Shop

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