The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa, Victoria has earned top honours on the Wine Spectator's Restaurant Wine List Awards. North America's most respected consumer source for wine reviews, the Wine Spectator, selected the wine list at the Panache restaurant as the recipient of a "Best of" Award of Excellence, a designation that recognizes superior list presentation, wine selection and vintage depth across several wine regions matching menu selections in both price and style.

"We have always taken a great interest in the careful development of our wine cellar," explains Shawn McGill, Director of Food and Beverage for The Westin Bear Mountain. We have over 6,000 wines cellaring at present, and the art of aging and advancing wines from the cellar to the restaurant patron has earned us a tremendous reputation for exceptional value and wonderful discoveries for our guests. To receive the "Best of" Award is exciting news for us and for wine lovers who come to enjoy a meal."

One of the best kept secrets at The Westin Bear Mountain is The Cellar, a stunning private room that is surrounded by the extensive and intriguing wine collection. No detail has been spared with the care and proud display of fine and rare wines including an impressive collection of some of British Columbia's finest hand crafted vintages.

"We opened up The Cellar last year for private tastings to introduce people to new finds and special gems, or people who simply wish to learn more about wine or perhaps choose a special bottle for dinner," explains McGill. "This service has expanded naturally to hosting private receptions and intimate dinner parties. The room is as exquisite as the wine collection itself."

While almost 3-thousand restaurants in North America received a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, only 816 received the special distinction of Best of Award of Excellence, and 72 were selected as Grand Award recipients. "We have heard from several people in the know that we had one of the best wine cellars in Canada. It's great to be formally recognized by the Wine Spectator – and I guess we'll have to set our sights on earning the honours of a Grand Award in the future."

People interested in experiencing The Cellar tasting can attend Friday Night Flights. Back by popular demand, guests can visit The Cellar every Friday evening 5:00pm to 6:00pm and sample 4 wines at $20pp (all inclusive). Each week a new wine region is featured. Call (250) 391-7160 for more information and to book a reservation.