16 Charlotte restaurants get Wine Spectator awards

It's an interesting list, this Wine Spectator awards lineup:

Blue, Del Frisco's and The Fig Tree get Best of Award of Excellences (I just went ahead and picked a word to make plural, since the actual name of the award is nonsensical anyway).

Aria, BLT Steak, Chima, D'Vine Wine Cafe, Fleming's, Gallery, Mama Ricotta's, McNinch House, both locations of Ruth's Chris, Sullivan's, Capital Grille and The Palm won Awards of Excellence.

Notice anything? Steak, steak, steak.

What's up, Morton's? Skip the $250 entry fee, even for the Chicago restaurant? (I have a call in to Morton's and will post when/if I hear back.)

Also of interest: The magazine classifies wine lists as Inexpensive, Moderate or Expensive. Charlotte's strongly in the moderate camp, with Mama Ricotta's deemed inexpensive, and four expensive ones: Capital Grille, Del Frisco's, Fleming's and BLT Steak -- which calls itself "French/American" rather than a steak house, FYI.