Focus on winelist pays off
Wednesday, 4 September, 2002
Errieda du Toit
Blues Restaurant in Camps Bay receives acclaim for its winelist
Famous for its legendary views of the Atlantic Seaboard and Californian ambience, Blues Restaurant in Camps Bay, has now also received acclaim for its winelist.
At the annual Diners Club Winelist of the Year Awards held recently, Blues Restaurant was awarded a Platinum Award Certificate for its winelist. The awards were introduced fourteen years ago to encourage restaurants to consistently improve the standard of their winelists.
‘This is a particular honour for Blues, bearing in mind that it was the first time Blues entered the awards,’ says Chris Bertie, Managing Director of Halcyon Hotels (Pty) Ltd, who own and operate Blues Restaurant. Chris Bertie, together with sommelier Alan Phillips, were instrumental in the creation of the Blues winelist. ‘We wanted our winelist to represent the enormous biodiversity of the Cape with its varied soils and microclimates. Furthermore it is important that the winelist is balanced from a cost perspective,’ says Chris.
Emphasis is placed on wine and food pairing, and to this end consulting chef Peter Goffe-Wood, together with sommelier Alan Phillips, go to great lengths matching wines with the Blues menu.
Certain rare and limited production wines are exclusive to Blues in Cape Town such as the De Meye Trutina 2000, a Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz blend. Apart from the standard winelist Blues also has a special winelist sporting wines like Jean Daneel ‘Signature’ Chenin Blanc 2001. ‘We specialize in estate wines and have a particular interest in all younger estates, as we believe that this gives us a better range of boutique wines. The Blues philosophy is one of building long associations – examples of which are Waterford, Thelema and Glen Carlou,’ says Chris.
‘We encourage our staff to take an interest in wines and ultimately all senior waiters will attend wine courses at the Cape Wine Academy.’
Blues strives to keep its winelist dynamic and interesting and a new winelist and menu will be introduced on 1 October 2002. Lunch, snacks and dinner are served daily from 12:00 to 23:00
Blues Restaurant, The Promenade, Victoria Road, Camps Bay.
Tel: +27 (0) 21 438-2040/1
When in Zanzibar, visit Blues restaurant at Forondahni Gardens, Stone Town.
Tel: 255-741 328 509
Issued by: Errieda du Toit PR on behalf of Blues Restaurant, a division of Halcyon Africa
Contact: Ian du Toit
Tel: +27 (0) 21 913-2248
E-mail: edt@netactive.co.za