Diners Club has announced the Western Cape winners of the annual Winelist Awards. Further Award ceremonies will be hosted during this month in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern and Southern Cape. In total 205 restaurants submitted their wine lists for evaluation. A total of 47 restaurants received a Diamond Award, the top accolade. 

The media release received on behalf of Diners Club informed that 51 wine lists were submitted for judging from restaurants in the Western Cape. The top Diamond Award went to 16 restaurants, the Platinum Award to 20 restaurants, and the Gold Award to 15 restaurants in our province. 

It surprises me how few top Cape restaurants are featured on this list, as Eat Out Top Ten restaurants should be equally excellent in their wines offered and the presentation thereof, on a par with their menus. Only La Colombe features on this list, while the Luke Dale Roberts restaurants stand out like a sore thumb in their lack of presence, perhaps chef and sommelier ego coming to the fore! The number one restaurant in the country, based in Somerset West, is Waterkloof, and probably only offers its own wines, not giving it a good performance in these awards, and similarly Camphors at Vergelegen, and all other wine estate located restaurants.  Hats off to Delaire Graff, Indochine, and Cavalli restaurants for offering more than just their own wines on their wine lists. 

Publisher of the Platter’s by Diners Club Wine Guide, Jean-Pierre Rossouw, and leading the Wine List Awards judging panel, said about the Awards:  ‘It’s clear that dining establishments are giving their wine lists ever-more attention, and a trend that I’d really like to applaud is the growing number of wine stewards and sommeliers that curate and present the lists. It’s also encouraging to note the number of establishments offering a wider choice of wines by the glass’. 

The judging panel also comprised Chef Pete Goffe-Wood, Spencer Fondaumiere, Karin Visser, and James Mukosi.

The list of Western Cape Wine List Award restaurants are the following:

 

Diamond Award Winners

Azure, The 12 Apostles Hotel – Camps Bay

Bientang’s Cave Restaurant & Wine Bar – Hermanus

Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat – Clanwilliam

Casabella at The Sanctuary – Somerset West

Cavalli – Stellenbosch

Delaire Graff Restaurant – Stellenbosch

Ellerman House – Bantry Bay

Grootbos Lodge – Gansbaai

Indochine Restaurant at Delaire Graff – Stellenbosch

Karibu Restaurant – V&A Waterfront

Karoo Art Hotel – Barrydale

La Colombe – Constantia

La Residence Hotel – Franschhoek

Noop – Paarl

The Hussar Grill Camps Bay

The Hussar Grill Worcester

 

Platinum Award Winners

Casabella GrandWest – Goodwood
Cattle Baron De Waterkant – Cape Town
French Connection Bistro – Franschhoek
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve – Gansbaai
Stellenbosch Golf Club
The Conservatory, The Cellars-Hohenort – Constantia
The Forum Embassy Hill – Constantia
The Hussar Grill Durbanville
The Hussar Grill Franschhoek
The Hussar Grill Grand West
The Hussar Grill Mouille Point
The Hussar Grill Paarl
The Hussar Grill Rondebosch
The Hussar Grill Somerset West
The Hussar Grill Steenberg
The Hussar Grill Stellenbosch
The Hussar Grill Willowbridge
The Marine Hotel – Hermanus
Turn ‘n Tender – Somerset West
Viande Grande Roche – Paarl

 

Gold Award Winners

Bistro @ La Vierge – Hermanus

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Cape Town

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Cavendish

Col’Cacchio Pizzeria Paarl

Den Anker – V&A Waterfront

The Shelley Point Hotel & Spa – St Helena Bay

 

Best Winelist at a Golf Course – Western Cape and National Winner

Stellenbosch Golf Club

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein