The Top 100 SA Wine List Awards
Thursday, 29 November, 2012
Top 100 SA Wines
The Top 100 SA Wine List Award winners have been revealed. The eagerly awaited and hotly contested results are listed below. This follows the festive celebratory awards’ event held at Rodwell House, St James.
Jörg Pfützner, Challenge Chair quoted: “The 100 point scoring system, together with independent audit, place objectivity and accuracy above all else. The winners are precisely those establishments most deserving. This categorical approach sets the standard and is the benchmark. It’s great also to have separated fine dining / long lists from relaxed dining / short lists. Both have a role and a need.”
Added Founder Judge Higgo Jacobs: “The time, attention and peer review process afforded to each entry is unparalleled. This professionalism and detail ensures that the results can aid restaurants to assess and develop their on-going wine and training strategy. This has solid commercial value.”
Best Value Awards were judged requiring a minimum pass level of 90+%, Dax Villanueva noted. “This category required real demonstration of effort and value that benefits customers; not easy to achieve! Last year a pass was 80% so this indicates our commitment to finding the best”
Jenny Ratcliffe-Wright was impressed by the level of national interest: “What is pleasing is to see how key establishments from all corners of SA are taking note of and committing to be part of the Top 100 Challenge. Very good news for the future of the brand and its diligent approach to ‘best practices’.”
International expert Mia Martensson was thrilled at the Unique Awards, with one winner only in each category for: Best Overall Wine List; Most Innovative Wine Selection, Best Regional Selection and Best International Selection. “Final judging for ‘Most Innovative’ was a nail biting event with a number of possible candidates fighting it out for sweet victory.”
No award was granted in the category Best New Restaurant Wine List.
Top 100’s Robin von Holdt recorded: “Entries are up almost 50% with a far higher average calibre, than last year. This is a strong and positive endorsement for our benchmark protocol and audited approach, as well as for the transparency and feedback that we offer establishments throughout SA. Giving every entrant an automatic award makes a mockery of any competition. There were a substantial number of establishments where judges were uncomfortable with issuing an award, resulting in the bar being set pretty high.”
The Top 100 brand is set to continue its growth in wine related promotion activity. Winning restaurants will gain entry into the Top 100 2013/14 book edition along with the Top 100 SA Wines 2013. There are already a number of promotional events planned throughout SA and abroad for 2013. Books are distributed throughout SA as well as in the UK, EU and USA.
Alphabetical order of winning restaurants, by category:
Unique Awards
• Restaurant Mosaic – Best Overall Wine List 2013
• Blake’s Wine & Tapas Bar – Innovative Selection Award 2013
• Capelands Restaurant Mangiare – International Selection Award 2013
• Poplars Restaurant – Regional Selection Award 2013
Fine Dining (long wine list)
Inspirational (95+%):
• Aubergine Restaurant
• Bosman’s Restaurant
• Restaurant Mosaic (Best value)
Outstanding (75+% - 95%):
• Azure Restaurant
• Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat
• Karibu Restaurant
• La Colombe
• Signal Restaurant at Cape Grace
• The Grill Room at the Oyster Box Hotel
• The Square Restaurant
• Tokara Restaurant
• Zachary’s
Highly Regarded (55+% - 75%):
• Blake’s Restaurant
• Budmarsh Country Lodge
• Café del Sol (Best value)
• Cantare Supper Club
• De Oude Kraal Colonial Restaurant (Best value)
• DW Eleven – 13
• Hemingway’s Restaurant and Wine Cellar (Best value)
• Pierneef à La Motte
• Rambling Vine Restaurant
• The Big Easy Restaurant (Best value)
• The Raj Indian Restaurant, Sandton
• Zest Restaurant (Best value)
Relaxed Dining (short wine list)
Inspirational (90+%):
• Hartford House
Outstanding (70+% - 90%):
• Blake’s Wine & Tapas Bar
• Capelands Restaurant Mangiare
• Caraffa Restaurant
• Fishmonger Centurion (Best value)
• Umngazi River Bungalows & Spa (Best value)
• Wijnhuis Restaurant, Newlands (Best value)
Highly Regarded (50+% - 70%)
• Babel Restaurant
• Bardelli’s (Kloof Street) – (Best value)
• Buffelsdrift Game Lodge
• Café 1999
• Café Felix
• Caversham Mill Restaurant (Best value)
• De Kloof Restaurant
• Harbour House Restaurant, Kalk Bay
• Jakes on Summerley (Best value)
• Orient Restaurant
• Poplars Restaurant (Best value)
• Sofia’s at Morgenster
• Su Casa Restaurant
• The Bull Run Restaurant (Best value)
• TSG The Cradle
• The Forum Company (Best value)
• TSG 4 Ways (Best value)
• Wangthai Sandton