Prairie Village’s Story hits 9th year on list of best wine restaurants

Shawnee Mission Post By Juliana Garcia July 3, 2023

Story., a restaurant in the Shops of Prairie Village, is home to one of the best wine selections in the nation.

For the ninth year in a row, Story. landed on Wine Spectator magazine’s awardee list for its high-quality wines.

Chef Carl Thorne-Thomsen said the recognition serves as a confirmation of sorts that he is doing the right thing — and people are noticing.

Story. received ‘best of award’ alongside 1,411 others

  • The “best of award of excellence” is the second tier of three awards Wine Spectator gives out annually.

  • Restaurants that earn a “best of” award are home to wine lists with 350 or more options from multiple wine-growing regions, according to Wine Spectator.

  • “These restaurants are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to win, both in the cellar and through their service team,” according to Wine Spectator.

Story. is home to 500 selections of wine

  • Thorne-Thomsen said the selection is largely from the United States because of its locality and customer demand.

  • Story. also has wines from Italy, France and Spain, though, he said. The list is constantly updated, especially with new releases or when older vintages are found.

  • “It’s just a vigilance to acquire what passes through the state, what comes to Kansas, and what seems appropriate for our list,” Thorne-Thomsen added.

The restaurant’s wine list is a product of the chef’s passion

  • Thorne-Thomsen said wine is a passion of his. He loves building the wine list and is happy to be recognized for it.

  • He said he tries to take what he likes in a wine in an effort to bring it to the restaurant and share it with guests.

  • “We have a deep and balanced list,” Thorne-Thomsen said. “We have older vintages as well as newer ones. If you like wine, we probably have a wine that will fit your taste —and it’s ok to drink red wine in hot weather.”

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