Restaurants of all sizes are being encouraged to enter their wine lists in the first ever South African Wine List Awards.
Food24 and two of South Africa’s top award winning restaurateurs, wine list consultants and wine writers, Mike Bampfield Duggan and Michael Olivier, are joining forces for the inaugural South African Wine List of the Year Awards. One of the most inclusive wine list accolades in the industry, the SAWLAs are open to all restaurants. The only entry criteria is; the restaurant must have a minimum of 20 wines on their wine list.
“An open wine list competition means that every restaurant, regardless of size can enter and win an award for their wine list, be it a one, two orthree flute award. For the SAWLAs to receive support from a media platform like Food24, Africa’s largest food and wine portal, is indicative of the importance of awards like these,” says Michael Olivier of MSquared, convenors of the Awards. He also added that certificates will go to all winners for display in their restaurants. Several prizes, including a Le Verre de Vin wine dispensing system, are on offer.
The categories are: Best Short Wine List with 20 to 40 wines; Best Medium Wine List with 41 to 80 wines; Best Long Wine List with over 81 wines; Best New List (for a restaurant that opened in 2011) and Best Wine by the Glass List. Each category will be rated according to specific criteria and depending on scores achieved the restaurants are awarded one, two or three flutes.
The Awards will be judged by some of South Africa’s most renowned restaurateurs, chefs and wine journalists including Cathy Marston, Catherine Boutell Coakley, Dr Jim Coakley, Kim Maxwell, Rey Franco, Myrna Robins, Ntsiki Biyela, Ginette de Fleuriot, Ingrid Motteaux, Billy Gallagher, Allan Mullins and Anna Trapido.
Overall judgeswill be looking for original and innovative choice of wines, a variety of cultivars, a good choice of white, red, rose, sparkling wines, dessert wines and ports, a broad selection of wine distributors used to procure wines and a strong description of individual wines. Detailed scoring guidelines can be found here on Food24.
Says Cathy Marston, wine editor at Food24 and Head Judge of the SAWLAs, “Good food and good wine go hand in hand, and I believe that these awards will not only encourage restaurateurs to be as creative and imaginative in their wine lists as they are with their food, but will also allow customers to show their appreciation and support of venues which have gone the extra mile – it’s a win-win situation all round!”
The closing date for entries is the 31st May. Entries can be submitted via Food24.
Why don’t you contact your favourite Port Elizabeth Restaurant from this list, and encourage them to enter.
Alan Straton
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Port Elizabeth in the News on 10 May 2012