Tudor Farmhouse in The Forest of Dean, has a two AA rosette restaurant with a 78 strong wine list. It’s a beautifully balanced collection with some suprising gems such as the Slovenian pinot grigio and local Welsh wines from Tintern Parva.
Manor House Hotel holds around 300 bins, and new sommelier Ben Porter plans to put his stamp on the list, saying, ‘I’m introducing wines from Brazil, Slovenia and Croatia in the next few months.’
The wine list at Bath’s Queensberry Hotel was awarded The Good Food Guide’s Wine List of the Year for 2011 and is an exciting tour through the wineries of the world.
In Gloucestershire, The Inn at Fossebridge’s new fine dining restaurant The Bridge has a small but perfectly formed wine list which covers all of the major regions. It states its intentions with: ‘Penicillin cures but wine makes people happy.’
Gidleigh Park holds the number one position for Best Wine List in The Sunday Times Food List: Britains Top 100 Restaurants. The beautiful cellars (pictured left) hold around 1,100 bins and a guided tour of the cellars is possible by prior arrangement.
Hotel Du Vin runs regular wine dinners and has Sommelier Saturdays on the first Saturday of each month where guests sample a selection of wines matched with charcuterie and cheese. £15.
For a taste of France in Cornwall, head to The Harbour restaurant in Port Isaac. Head chef Emily Scott’s menu takes French inspiration, and the theme continues on the wine list, which features carefully sourced finds from indie producers.
Chef proprietor Ben Prior of Ben’s Kitchen in Marazion, is a keen proponent of South African wines. The 85 strong list has a socking 30 by the glass. ‘Right now I’d recommend a Hamilton Russell pinot noir which rivals any from Burgundy,’ says Ben.
The Harris Arms, an award winning foodie pub on the Devon and Cornwall border, is run by qualified wine makers Andy and Rowena Whiteman, so it’s no surprise that The Harris Arms was selected by The Good Pub Guide 2012 as one of its Top Ten Wine Pubs in the UK.
We like Waterside Bistro’s policy of selling good quality wines at very competitive prices to actively encourage people to choose them. Proprietor Matt Buzzo of the Totnes restaurant says, ‘It means diners get a great glass of wine.’ The 50 strong list includes 24 by the glass and 75ml taster glasses too.
Every month the Pebblebed Cellar in Topsham, Devon, hosts a pop-up informal Italian dinner called the Vino Kitchen with Marc Millon, local wine writer and merchant of Italian wines.
The Harbour Restaurant at The Red Lion at stunning Clovelly in North Devon complements it menu (strong on fish and seafood) with a Devon Wine list of 14 local wines from vineyards such as Yearlstone, Pebblebed, Kenton, Old Walls and Eastcott.
