RED CARNATION HOTEL COLLECTION SOUTH AFRICA PROPERTIES SCORE DINERS CLUB HAT-TRICK
The Red Carnation Hotel Collection has just added three more awards to its growing tally of internationally-recognised accolades: Diners Club Winelist Awards for each of its three luxury properties.
The Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat, The Oyster Box and The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa have been recognised with the highest Diners Club Winelist Awards honour, Diamond certification.
The Diners Club Winelist Awards encourage food and wine-serving establishments to improve the standards of the wine selection they offer to their patrons. The award categories and competition requirements are in line with global market trends and Diners Club International’s ongoing contribution towards service excellence in the hospitality and tourism industries.
The 2011 judging panel was chaired by internationally-respected wine convener for Diners Club, Dave Hughes, and included judges such as former WINE magazine editor Fiona McDonald and wine educator Clive Torr. The four judging criteria categories for 2011 were content (35%), balance (30%), presentation (25%) and suitability (10%).
“Besides the big names, we have tried to select our favourites – wines we enjoy, and hope that our variety of guests will enjoy,” says Bushmans Kloof General Manager Graham Kennedy. Located in the pristine Cederberg just 270km from Cape Town, Bushmans Kloof’s stunning natural environs are juxtaposed against the relaxed luxury of the manicured indigenous gardens and 16 freestanding suites.
“To pair with our extensive wine list, guests are indulged with cuisine from chef Floris Smith which has seen Bushmans Kloof also named one of the Best Hotels for Food in Africa, Middle East and the Indian Ocean in the Condé Nast Traveller UK Gold List 2011,” Kennedy says.
Recently-appointed Sommelier Gregory Mutambe at TheTwelve Apostles Hotel in Cape Town has refreshed the seaside hotel’s extensive wine tome – with winning results.
“Tucked between the mountains and the ocean, The Twelve Apostles is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing glass of wine, either with your meal in the Azure Restaurant or simply as a sundowner in the Leopard Bar,” says Twelve Apostles General Manager Horst Frehse.
The Oyster Box General Manager Wayne Coetzer says he is delighted the Umhlanga hotel’s wine list has been adjudged to be in harmony with the food on its menu.
“The award reveals the care and planning which went into creating our wine list for one South Africa’s best-loved hotels,” he says.
All three wine lists include an extensive range of wines from Bouchard Finlayson, which is also owned by the Tollman family and thus a sister property. Located in the temperate Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, the boutique winery specialises in Pinot noir and is recognised as one of South Africa’s best producers of the varietal.
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