Flights Wine Bar announced it received the 2025 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award of Excellence. Owner Kelsey Daniels says it’s the first woman-led restaurant in Central Oregon to achieve the prestigious recognition and Bend’s first wine bar to receive the award.
Daniels, who’s a Certified Sommelier, said in a news release, “Our wine list is a living, breathing creature – and a wild one at that.”
Flights Wine Bar specializes in wines from around the world. It offers guided tasting flights, pairing the wine with specially crafted dishes.
“We operate on a rotating system: as soon as one bottle runs out, something new takes its place,” Daniels says. She founded the wine bar in 2021.
“I really wanted a space that presented options for everyone, from champagne lovers to local wine fanatics, while including an elevated food program but keeping the casual, welcoming wine bar vibe intact,” she says. “It’s an honor that a publication as renowned as Wine Spectator has recognized our commitment to this city.”
This year, 2,010 restaurants nationwide received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator which recognizes restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.
“This award reflects years of dedication to not just wine and food, but to creating a place where people feel welcomed, inspired, and curious.”
“This award is such an exciting milestone for our small team,” Daniels says.
The Brickhouse Steakhouse in Redmond also received the Award of Excellence this year. The Bend Brickhouse first received the award in 2011.
This article appears in Source Weekly July 3, 2025.
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