Charlene Smith
wine
In one of the world’s best known wine countries, why is it so impossible to get a glass of decent wine at a restaurant? Gone are the days when businesspeople would attempt to clobber a bottle of wine over lunch and reel out to face an afternoon written off in a dull haze. If you’re not choosing between classes of water over lunch, you’re probably hankering after a good glass of wine to accompany the pasta, fish or meat presented before you.
But to get a decent glass of wine is a mission in itself. While many restaurants have bowed to patron pressure to stop selling boxed wine by the glass, too many still have only one type of white or red house wine and will sell it as anything from Chardonnay to Sauvignon Blanc, even if it is a mere Riesling or blanc de plonk.
Few restaurants have the style of the Smokestack in Norwood, where you can buy wine by the glass of every single wine on their generous list to accompany some of the most delectable food in Johannesburg. But Smokestack takes wine seriously – they have a weekly wine tasting with a set menu of wines from lesser-known estates, and many of the wines on their menu include rare wines or those from small but excellent estates.
Willoughby’s in Hyde Park has Graham Beck wines, including their delectable Chardonnay and sparkling wine by the glass, or for a mere R70 you can treat your-
self to a glass of Taittinger (it’s worth it!) to accompany some of the best sushi and fish in town.
RBs at Lifestyle used to have good wines to accompany meals but recently seem to have gone for cheaper fare, although they will bring you the bottle and let you taste the wine to see if you like it. But RBs’ drawback is long queues for a seat and then slow service from the few staff employed to deal with a large clientele. After a long wait recently and a word to the owner, he flipped and harangued the complainant. Not much of an incentive to return, although they do have Pongracz bubbly by the glass and excellent sushi.
Circle in Greenside, the in-crowd’s new venue, recently gave the writer Sauvignon Blanc after I asked for Chardonnay, and only confessed when I complained about the quality of the Chardonnay when paying the bill. Not on, for a restaurant aimed at top-paying clientele. Georges on 4th in Parkhurst, also used to serve really nice Chardonnay but during a recent visit I could swear that either the Chardonnay was of poor quality or it was something else being served as Chardonnay.
Plums in Parkwood and Ninos in Melville also serve tired wines with menus that are long past their change-me date.
Villa Via in Cape Town used to have a fantastic range of wines by the glass, but has lost some of its panache with a new forgettable name and forgettable wine.
One of the best places for really good wine with your meal however, is SAA … now if they could do something about the food.