FIG

FIG won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program, and the list shows you why in the first ten seconds. This is not a 400-bottle cellar flex. It's a compact, seasonally rotating collection where every wine was chosen to work with what's coming out of the kitchen. The white section is built around Riesling in many forms, including Müller-Catoir Mandelgarten Spätlese from the Pfalz, plus at least five different Loire Chenin Blancs. Chardonnay runs from Peay in Sonoma (generous fruit but balanced) to more restrained Burgundian styles. Rosés are treated seriously: Clos Cibonne Tibouren from Provence alongside Martha Stoumen's Post-Flirtation from California. The fortified section covers Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira and sherries. There may not be 400 wines here, but there are zero bad decisions. The list changes with the seasons alongside the food, which means repeat visits yield different discoveries.

The James Beard Award is the obvious headline, but what makes FIG a Rager is how the program works in practice. The list prioritizes relevance over depth: high-acid whites and serious rosés that pair with a menu built around vegetables, seafood, and nuanced sauces. The staff knows the wine because the wine was chosen by the same team that designed the food. Markups are fairer than you'd expect for a restaurant at this level because the program favors lesser-known producers over trophy labels. You're not paying for names; you're paying for curation. The weakness? Traditionalists hunting Napa Cab or Bordeaux by the label will feel underserved. But that's by design. FIG is a wine program for people who eat first and drink to match.