Behind the Bottle: How Bargello Earned its Wine Spectator Honors

The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It’s doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile.

Julia Child

The sentiment behind this quote from legendary chef and author Julia Child is something that often resonates in the field of hospitality. For me, it came to mind recently when it was announced that our restaurant, Bargello, had been selected for its second consecutive Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, a leading publication dedicated to wine, wine culture, and wine ratings.

There is a great deal that goes into receiving recognition of any kind. Most of our time in hospitality is spent working unnoticed, watching guests closely in the hopes of anticipating an unspoken need or creating a moment of pleasant surprise. Night after night, we put our own lives on hold to focus exclusively on other people. We do the tastings, the buying, the pre-shifts, the service, and the close-outs. The business is demanding, and the wins often come only after navigating emergencies, stressful moments, and spending some quality time "in the weeds." Yet, it is only through this daily commitment to service that we begin to recognize the subtleties of guest interactions and opportunities to create memorable experiences.

Essentially, providing consistent service and exceeding guest expectations becomes its own reward. In his book ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’, Will Guidara writes, "A little secret, one that the truly great professionals in my business know: hospitality is a selfish pleasure. It feels great to make other people feel good." This mindset and the culture it creates are essential to the work we do every day throughout the food and beverage venues at Kimpton Hotel Arras and is central to the philosophy of our parent company, McKibbon Hospitality.

In the ever-changing landscape of food and beverage, specifically within hotels, diverse offerings, distinct points of differentiation, and consistently high standards of service help build brands that succeed despite market fluctuations and evolving consumer trends. Hotel Arras and its food and beverage outlets serve as flagship properties within McKibbon’s offerings, while representing just one segment of the company’s broad and diverse approach to hospitality.

The significance of receiving repeat recognition from Wine Spectator cannot be understated for both our business and the larger McKibbon Hospitality portfolio. Throughout my hospitality career, I have always held a deep appreciation for the food and beverage programs found within luxury hotels. It never seemed unusual to me that some of the finest restaurants and bars in any city could be located inside highly rated hotel properties. Upon moving to Asheville, however, I quickly realized that my perspective was hardly universal. Because of the city’s unique culture and its delicate relationship with tourists and tourism, hotels have at times carried a less-than-stellar reputation among locals, making many hesitant to consider hotel restaurants when making their dining plans. Since our goal is to appeal to far more than just hotel guests, overcoming that perception is critical to our success.

By focusing on genuine hospitality, engaging service, and thoughtfully curated menus, we can build those meaningful relationships within the community and the region. Awards such as the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence help accomplish exactly that. For a hotel restaurant to appear in a nationally respected publication alongside some of the city’s most established and celebrated independent restaurants is significant. It encourages guests to reconsider what a hotel restaurant can be.

Beyond the national exposure and local buzz, Bargello’s second consecutive award also represents an ongoing commitment to exceptional service and product quality. Beyond Bargello, it’s important to McKibbon Hospitality to develop and grow successful food & beverage programs so each property can represent the local community, showcase culinary talent, and provide lasting memories for guests.

Within McKibbon Hospitality’s downtown Asheville portfolio, the four hotels serve a different purpose and attract a different audience. Each offering their own unique strengths and memorable experiences (spend an evening watching the sunset from Wildwood Still at the Moxy Hotel and you’ll understand!), Hotel Arras and Bargello represent the higher-end experience within the collection. Rather than developing hotels that all feel the same, McKibbon has intentionally created a collection of properties where each offers its own personality, audience, and experience. From vibrant social spaces to refined dining destinations, every property contributes to something distinct while sharing the same commitment to exceptional hospitality.

McKibbon’s third-party hotel management portfolio runs the gamut and includes nearly 100 midscale, boutique, and luxury properties. Additionally, McKibbon also manages 11 independently branded food and beverage concepts. Bargello reflects the intentional role food and beverage plays across McKibbon’s portfolio, with each concept shaped by its destination and audience. The Wine Spectator Award serves as an outward symbol of that commitment, inspiring confidence and curiosity among travelers and local diners alike.

While Asheville’s hospitality industry has continued recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene, we also share in the broader, global trends affecting food and beverage at the current time. Alcohol consumption has declined among younger generations, while economic pressures have encouraged many consumers to become more selective about discretionary spending. Navigating these realities requires adaptability and creativity and has ultimately strengthened our approach to hospitality.

Across our venues, we have expanded our low-and-no-alcohol beverage offerings while embracing thoughtful alternatives that appeal to changing guest preferences. Rather than viewing these trends as obstacles, we have treated them as opportunities to better serve an evolving audience. Having the flexibility to innovate while retaining recognition from respected, legacy media positions us well in the current climate.

Another element that helps us at Bargello is the flexibility to move beyond the standardized approach often associated with hotel wine programs. Hotel-mandated brand requirements can sometimes limit creativity by requiring certain selections on beverage menus. Hotel Arras benefits from being one of only a handful of franchised Kimpton locations, allowing us significantly greater freedom to develop a wine program that reflects both our market and our vision. Coupled with an educated staff that can introduce guests to new and interesting wine styles, this flexibility is a significant selling point for the restaurant. I work closely with our distributor partners to source distinctive, low-production wines for both our by-the-glass program and our cellar selection. Combined with the beautiful spaces throughout the property, this positions us to remain at the forefront of wine programs in Asheville and throughout Western North Carolina.

Within McKibbon’s portfolio of properties with on-site food and beverage programs, the challenge is operating as both a hotel restaurant and a neighborhood destination. While the general expectations and demands of these guest populations certainly overlap, they also bring distinct preferences for style and quality of service. Hotel guests are often seeking convenience, familiarity, and memorable experiences during their travels, while local guests may value consistency, relationships, and a genuine sense of place. Understanding these differences and balancing those expectations continues to shape our service and beverage philosophy. It allows us to create a program that merges both approaches and appeals to all audiences without sacrificing authenticity.

Complementing our award-winning list and elevated service style is one of Hotel Arras and McKibbon Hospitality’s most distinctive features: our wine cellar. Located on the basement level in a brick-clad, softly lit space with a full-wall glass view into the 1,600-bottle cellar, the space was built as part of the hotel in tribute to John McKibbon’s good friend Woody, who was said to have “remembered every wine he ever tasted.” John’s passion for hospitality, relationships, and quality continues to influence the experiences we strive to create every day.

Through that philosophy, the goal has never been to build a wine list simply to receive recognition. Awards are the result of a culture that values curiosity, education, consistency, and genuine hospitality. Every tasting, every bottle added to the cellar, every staff education session, and every recommendation made tableside reinforces those values. When those moments are repeated consistently, the result is a program that reflects something much larger than the wine itself.

That philosophy extends well beyond Bargello. The hospitality industry continues to evolve, and success increasingly belongs to organizations willing to adapt without compromising their standards. Today’s guests expect more than convenience from hotel restaurants; they expect memorable experiences capable of standing alongside the city’s best neighborhood mainstays. Likewise, successful wine programs must move beyond predictable brand standards to offer thoughtful selections, knowledgeable service, and opportunities for discovery. McKibbon Hospitality has consistently demonstrated a willingness to support these ideas and to innovate while remaining focused on genuine guest care.

Receiving a second consecutive Wine Spectator Award of Excellence is certainly something worth celebrating, but perhaps its greatest significance is what it represents. It reflects years of intentional work and a commitment to building a culture where quality is demonstrated by the staff and expected by guests. It reinforces Bargello’s position as one of only ten Asheville restaurants recognized by Wine Spectator and demonstrates that restaurants, even those located within a hotel, can meaningfully contribute to the city’s culinary identity.

More importantly, it reflects McKibbon Hospitality’s continued commitment to creating experiences that resonate with guests, strengthen local communities, and elevate hospitality across every segment of its portfolio.

Julia Child’s words remind us that awards should never become the objective. They are milestones that acknowledge work already being done for the right reasons. True achievement lies in creating spaces where guests feel welcomed, associates feel empowered, and excellence becomes part of everyday culture. If recognition follows, it is simply confirmation that those efforts matter.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our community each day and look forward to continuing to elevate hospitality throughout Asheville and across the McKibbon Hospitality portfolio.

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from www.HotelExecutive.com.