FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Liz Bodet
504.583.5550, lizbodet@gmail.com

New Orleans, Louisiana - Herbsaint is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator for its outstanding wine program. The restaurant is recognized among 3,592 other winners from all over the globe as a top destination for wine lovers. "It is truly an honor to be included in this impressive list of winners from around the world," states Chef Donald Link, owner of Herbsaint. "Wine Spectator is the premier wine publication in our industry, so this award is a real testament to our passion and commitment to our wine loving guests." The Award of Excellence recognizes restaurants whose wine lists feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.

"We are continually adding depth to our wine list to enhance our contemporary, French-Southern cuisine," states Joseph Briand, Herbsaint General Manager. "We are extremely proud of its eclectic personality and our knowledgeable staff that shares it with our guests."

Wine Spectator began its program to recognize the world's best wine lists in 1981. There are three levels: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award-with 2,335; 1,168; and 89 winners this year in each respective category. The complete list of award winners is available in print in Wine Spectator's August issue, on newsstands July 18, and online at Restaurants.WineSpectator.com where visitors can search and access exclusive content on the more than 3,500 restaurants. The full list is also available for free on iOS via the Restaurant Awards app, which allows users to look for dining spots in any location with maps, choosing by wine strengths, cuisine type, pricing and more.

Follow the Restaurant Awards on Twitter and Instagram, with hashtag #WSRestaurantAward.

Link Restaurant Group includes Herbsaint Restaurant and Bar; Cochon Restaurant; Cochon Butcher, New Orleans and Nashville locations; Calcasieu, a private dining facility in New Orleans; Pêche Seafood Grill, named Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation, and La Boulangerie a neighborhood bakery and café. Link's flagship restaurant Herbsaint earned Chef/Owner Donald Link a James Beard award in 2007 for Best Chef South. Cochon was nominated in 2007 for Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation; and was listed in The New York Times as "one of the top 3 restaurants that count." Stephen Stryjewski, chef/partner of Cochon, was named Best Chef: South at the 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards, and Ryan Prewitt, chef/partner of Pêche was named Best Chef: South at the 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards. The James Beard Foundation also honored Link's first cookbook-- Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana (Clarkson Potter) with their top award for Best American Cookbook. Chef Link recently published his second cookbook, Down South: Bourbon, Pork, Gulf Shrimp & Second Helpings of Everything. For more information, please visit DonaldLink.com.

Wine Spectator is the world's leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches more than 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Web's most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine's role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews of more than 18,000 wines each year. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken's Impact Newsletter.


###