I told myself I wouldn’t eat at Harbour House again, but then again …
FOR MANY who are fond of good wining and dining in Cape Town, when dreaming about seafood and a room with a view, your thoughts might well turn to Harbour House in the V&A Waterfront or Kalk Bay. Very appealing, but lunching there is not an automatic choice: a great plate of prawns and chips isn’t guaranteed at these bayside destinations and then there’s the winelist to contemplate. A recent article by Christian Eedes of Winemag.co.za and the subsequent interview with Joburg-based wine authority Michael Fridjhon on Cape Talk radio touched on the issue of wine producers being charged for a listing. Fair or unfair?
Winemag urged vintners to resist paying listing fees, intent on exposing restaurants that demand them. Previously the website carried an article by sommelier and wine wholesaler David Clarke, frustrated by this obstacle in the way of selling the reds and whites from artisanal and boutique cellars to restaurateurs expecting thousands of rand a year per wine for the ‘privilege’. He challenged producers to be strong, to band together in protest.
Michael Fridjhon regards the practice of charging listing fees as anti-competitive, reporting that it’s most prevalent among the restaurant chains and high-profile places that tourists flock to. He feels that it undermines the future of the wine industry and is supportive of naming and shaming as a means to bring pressure to bear in the public forum of social media. Although contrary to what Clarke advocates, Fridjhon says it is unreasonable to come down on producers who pay the ‘bribe’ and feels that the problem has more to do with the ‘gatekeepers’.
Harbour House leaves little to chance if there’s an extra buck to be made, with management known to talk customers into buying wine that costs more than what they ordered originally – perhaps sometimes the more pricey wine is better; perhaps the producer who loses out on a sale won’t mind. There are those who would argue that things should be left to sort themselves out by way of supply and demand, market forces. Surely if people don’t like what they get they’ll stay away and spread the word.
It is common practice for supermarkets and other retailers to charge 30% to 40% more than what they purchase wines for from the farms, and for restaurants to charge at least double what you’d pay at your local wine shop. Harbour House charges closer to 300% more than what the wine shop does and that’s possibly after having already made a tidy sum in listing fees. And people are lining up at the door to get in. Great ambience, difficult to resist.
Maybe what the ‘gatekeepers’ are doing isn’t so much about bribes but more like charging a fee for advertising and promoting the wines and their producers, plenty of whom apparently see listings at restaurants frequented by the ‘in’ crowd and holidaymakers as brand-building worthy of marketing-spend. Supermarkets charge their suppliers for special displays in-store; why shouldn’t restaurants charge their suppliers for talking them up.
And in terms of consistent quality, many of the wines available at Harbour House aren’t too shabby – apparently selected by people who are halfway discerning, at least, and all South African wines, except for the Champagnes. You be the judge!
CLASSIFIED SA WINES AT HARBOUR HOUSE – MAY 2017
BUBBLY
Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV (MCC)
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Brampton
Cape Point
Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection
Steenberg The Black Swan
CHARDONNAY
Glen Carlou
Hamilton Russell
Hartenberg The Eleanor
CHENIN BLANC
L’Avenir
NICHE WHITE VARIETIES
Jordan The Real McCoy Riesling
Saronsberg Viognier
WHITE BLEND
Muratie Laurens Campher
Spier Creative Block 2
PINOT NOIR
Hamilton Russell
MERLOT
Eagles’ Nest
PINOTAGE
L’Avenir
Kanonkop
SHIRAZ
Dombeya Boulder Road
Kevin Arnold (Waterford)
Saronsberg Provenance
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
La Motte
Rustenberg Peter Barlow
RED BLEND
Holden Manz Big G
Spier Creative Block 3
Warwick Trilogy
OTHER SA WINES ON THE HH WINELIST – MAY 2017
BUBBLY
Pierre Jourdan Cuvée Belle Rose NV (MCC)
Pongrácz Brut NV (MCC)
Steenberg Sauvignon Sparkling (MCC)
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Constantia Royale
Durbanville Hills
Hampton & Co
Klein Constantia
Southern Right
CHARDONNAY
Dalla Cia
Holden Manz
Paradyskloof
CHENIN BLANC
Dornier Bush Vine
Remhoogte
Secateurs (AA Badenhorst)
Spier Signature
NICHE WHITE VARIETIES
Nederburg The Beautiful Lady Gewürztraminer
Val du Charron Pinot Gris
WHITE BLENDS
Buitenverwachting Buiten Blanc
Dryland Collection Pinot Noir/Chardonnay
Graham Beck Gorgeous Pinot Noir Chardonnay
Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir
ROSÉ
Iona Sophie Rosé
Rosendal Pinotage Rosé
Waterford Rose-Mary
PINOT NOIR
Edgebaston
Haute Cabrière Unwooded
La Vierge – The Affair
Vriesenhof
MERLOT
Fleur du Cap
Hampton & Co
Plaisir de Merle
Remhoogte Aspect
Rosendal Reserve
Zevenwacht
PINOTAGE
Brampton
Diemersfontein
Rosendal Barony Bonne
SHIRAZ
Naughtons Flight
Vondeling Baldrick
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Paradyskloof
Simonsig Labyrinth
Springfield Whole Berry
Warwick First Lady
NICHE RED VARIETIES
Hartenberg Alchemy Malbec
Neethlingshof Malbec
RED BLEND
Dornier Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot
Groote Post Old Mans Blend
Noble Nomad – He Stole My Horse
Vriesenhof Kallista
Interesting topic, restaurant wine prices! I generally BYO and pay whatever they want for corkage because I am a collector and am very fussy about what I drink. I guess the issue of an estate paying a listing fee might not be entirely a bad thing, however as a restaurant owner I would be very selective based on the quality/value/price (in that order) of the wines on my list. It’s got to be appealing. 300% or even 150% markup is ridiculous.
Because of restaurant listing fees and high wine prices, we now take our own wines and pay the corkage – or stay away from tourist traps.