Winelists of South Africa’s top two restaurants hardly conformist – anything but!

ACCORDING to the restaurant critics commissioned by Italy’s ‘Fine Dining Waters’ S Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, the best in the world in 2015 is Spanish, there aren’t any French restaurants currently quite good enough to warrant inclusion among the planet’s Top 10, and of South Africa’s finest only two are rated exceptional enough to make the cut when it comes down to the world’s Top 100… On the S Pellegrino list of The World’s Best Restaurants, there are 15 in the USA, 10 in Spain, 9 in France, 7 in the UK, 6 each in China and Mexico, 4 each in Australia, Denmark, Italy and Japan… The top three: No. 1 El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain; No. 2 Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy; No. 3 Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In terms of South Africa, once again The Test Kitchen at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town, and The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français, just off the main road in Franschhoek, have been lauded as the country’s very best dining establishments in an international context. At the 2015 edition of the award presentations staged in London, chef Luke Dale-Roberts’ Test Kitchen ranked well within the Top 50, with chef Margot Janse and The Tasting Room comfortably among the Top 100. Both special-occasion restaurants, The Test Kitchen heads up a group of Biscuit Mill venues that also features The Pot Luck Club and Naturalis, due to open in July 2015, while The Tasting Room tops a collection of venues including the Bread & Wine Vineyard Restaurant at Môreson, also in Franschhoek.

As controversial as they are respected and sought after, the awards are renowned for their consistency and the reputation of the judges for seeking out emerging talent, heroes of tomorrow. And the winelists are almost as telling as the menus, the people, the service, the venue… While a restaurant’s rating depends mostly on what comes out of the kitchen, what comes out of the cellar also says a lot about the place. In the words of sommelier Wayve Kolevsohn at The Test Kitchen, “quality, uniqueness, variety and balance” are the objectives – showcasing South Africa’s diversity together with a handful of favourites from outside the country, primarily Champagne.

On considering the winelists, what they stock is as interesting as what they don’t. Beginning with the Méthode Cap Classique bubblies: no Simonsig or Villiera and/but there’s Graham Beck, Bon Courage, Silverthorn. Chardonnay wise, there’s Ataraxia,  Hamilton Russell and some others with interest value – but no Jordan, Paul Cluver, Rustenberg, Tokara, Uva Mira. The Chenin Blancs include Beaumont, Kleine Zalze and The FMC – although no Bellingham Bernard Series, no DeMorgenzon. Whereas the Sauvignon Blanc listings include Cape Point, Fryer’s Cove, Kleine Zalze, Reyneke and Springfield – no Diemersdal, Graham Beck Pheasants’ Run, Steenberg.

The white blends? There is Mullineux and Nederburg Ingenuity, Steenberg Magna Carta and AA Badenhorst, Palladius and Vondeling – however no Cape Point, Tokara, Vergelegen. And the blended reds? There’s Columella, De Toren, Meerlust Rubicon, Rust en Vrede, Vilafonté and Waterford The Jem – although no Kanonkop Paul Sauer, Morgenster, Ernie Els.

On the Cabernet Sauvignon front, the listings include Cederberg, Kanonkop, Le Riche, Rustenberg Peter Barlow, Stark-Condé, Thelema, Vergelegen and Waterford – but no Boekenhoutskloof, De Trafford. In terms of Pinot Noir, there’s Bouchard Finlayson, Creation, Crystallum, Hamilton Russell, Newton Johnson and Paul Cluver. Pinotage? Well, there’s Diemersfontein and Môreson – but no Beyerskloof, no Kanonkop, no Rijk’s, no Simonsig. Whereas Shiraz wise, there’s Eagles’ Nest, Hartenberg, Luddite and Mullineux – although no Boekenhoutskloof, Cederberg, Cirrus, Saronsberg, Saxenburg.

The dessert wines include Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, Paul Cluver and Nederburg – no Delheim, Fairview, Fleur du Cap, Mullineux. And of the port-style fortified wines, there’s De Krans and Peter Bayly – but no Axe Hill, Boplaas or KWV.

Interesting indeed!

 

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