If you’re in the mood to sample some fine wine from Kansas with your meal, you’ve come to the right place if you’re dining at Charlie Palmer Steak on Capitol Hill.

With his restaurant featuring wines from all 50 states, proprietor Charlie Palmer “knows that high quality wines are being produced all over the country today, and that offering such a diverse range of American wines opens to his patrons an entirely new chapter in the world of wine,” said David Sloane, WineAmerica president, in a statement.

This diverse offering of American wines has earned Palmer the industry’s admiration and the WineAmerica and Wine Grape Growers of America “2005 Restaurateur of the Year American Wine Leadership Award,” which was presented to Palmer on Tuesday at a reception honoring the Congressional Wine Caucus.

Charlie Palmer Steak features a noteworthy wine cube that houses 3,500 bottles of American wines, although the restaurant has more than 10,000 bottles on its premises.

In addition to honoring the caucus, which has a membership of more than 250 Senators and Representatives, the annual “Taste the Wines of America” reception is held to allow elected officials the opportunity to meet vintners and growers from their districts and states. Also, those in attendance were encouraged to sample the wines from 21 states that were featured at Tuesday’s reception.

— Jennifer Lash