A VINE TIME | Going the extra mile with wine selections for exceptional dining

What makes a great wine list, and great wine service, that can delight diners and set a local restaurant apart from its competitors?

The Diners Club Wine List Awards recognise those restaurants that go the extra mile to present wine selections that make a dining experience extra special.

Flying the flag for hospitality excellence in the Eastern Cape, this year the PE Hotel Group swept the boards, earning Diamond status, the highest award, for all of its restaurants, several of them repeat winners.

They were joined by The Thistle restaurant at Port Alfred’s Royal St Andrews Hotel, also being re-awarded the Diamond status it has held for several years.

As Diners Club’s wine expert Gerda Burger puts it: “There can be little more satisfying than good service, a great view, the company you choose and fabulous food.

“Unless, of course, you add a beautiful bottle of wine, at which stage you elevate the experience to exceptional!

“Those are the wine lists we look for. Wine lists that perfectly punctuate a beautiful meal, be it a simple burger or a fillet mignon.

“The clever wine selection is the alchemy required to transform every dining experience.”

The awards are not only aimed at fine dining establishments, she said.

“A casual restaurant’s wine list begs a different flavour to that of a fine dining restaurant, but there is a universal Diners Club standard of excellence that we apply to each submission.

“A wine list should reflect the personality, atmosphere or ‘vibe’ of the establishment, and at the same time offer a carefully thought-out range of varietal, style and price for the diner.

“Wine quality should be placed above all and well-trained wine staff is a must.

“Not every establishment needs a sommelier, but a well-informed, quietly confident wine waiter can make the difference between a good and a great experience.

“In the top categories, an international offering is a requirement, but more and more, we tend to award those restaurants that have shown ingenuity and adventure into the world of international wines.

A glass of well-priced Pinot Grigio from its birthplace can transport a downtown pizzeria in Johannesburg to a carefree sidewalk café in Amalfi!”

The PE Hotel Group restaurants with Diamond-awarded wine lists cross a range of locations and styles — Hacklewood Hill Country House, The Beach Hotel and Ginger The Restaurant in Gqeberha, The Sands in St Francis, and Pumba Private Game Reserve’s Water Lodge and Bush Lodge.

Group PR and international sales manager Mande Bage said they were incredibly proud of their multiple Diamond awards.

“Behind every one of our wine lists is a tremendous amount of heart, passion and dedication, as we believe wine plays an integral role in the overall dining experience,” Bage said.

“There is something truly special about the moment when a beautifully crafted dish meets the perfect wine pairing — it can create a real ‘wow’ moment and an instant love affair between food and wine.”

She said each of the restaurants focused not only on serving wine connoisseurs, but ensuring they also catered for those who simply enjoy a great glass of wine, with each wine list tailored to the style of the venue, from casual dining with smaller, accessible wine lists, to fine dining at Ginger and Hacklewood Hill, with international and vintage wine selections.

“Deep knowledge, thoughtful selection and a commitment to variety go a long way,” she said.

“Our aim is always to excite both local and international guests while elevating the overall dining experience.”

Some final thoughts for restaurants from your wine writer, on some wine list basics that make a world of difference — even if you’re not shooting for wine list awards:

Keep ‘em clean. A sticky, grubby, torn or dog-eared wine list is off-putting.

• Keep it up-to-date. Scratching out listings or changing prices by hand rather than printing a new list, just screams unprofessional, cheap and mean. Nobody wants a sense of meanness and cheapness around their treat of a meal out.
• Spell check is your friend. So is attention to detail — get the wine name, vintage and category right, for starters.
• Select wines that suit your menu — for example, bold reds work well with steaks and pizza but not so much with a menu of light meals and salads, which would do better with white blends and rosés.
• If you’re pitching your restaurant as a cut-above — not necessarily fine dining, just classy — invest in decent wine glasses. They don’t have to be a connoisseur’s brand like Riedel, or even crystal; just ditch the squat, thick-rimmed, by-the-pallet-load glasses and make a little upgrade.
• Train your staff, so that they know how to serve wine and answer customers’ basic questions. Most of the wine distributors that supply restaurants are happy to offer waiter training to upskill restaurant staff and arm them with basic wine knowledge — to the benefit of both your staff and your customers.

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