There's a new wine list at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and it aims to light a small fire under the way in which wine is sold and enjoyed in top restaurants.
The list is the brainchild of the three Michelin-starred restaurant's Head Sommelier Jan Konetzki. "Classically wine lists in fine dining restaurants can be intimidating," he told us. "We think it is great to have a a lot of different wines but we're also trying to make the wine choice a great experience for our guests.
"The change of list gives us the chance to bring attention to wines which we discover or we like to spotlight. Usually as a sommelier you do that verbally. Now guests can browse themselves. We are there but the guests have more freedom and don’t need to rely on the sommelier to find something special."
To that end the new look wine list is part wine bible, part guide to choosing wine. There's a flavour wheel in there, detailed maps of the various wine regions and their vineyards throughout the 45 page list, and even a guide to wine bottle sizes and the factors involved in choosing champagne. It ranges in price from £28 to £10,000 (for a bottle of 1900 Château Margaux, since you ask) and we rather love the descriptions such as this:
Terroir - what does that word actually mean? Is it a sense of place? Is it an expression of the grape in this patch of land? Personally I think one winemaker sums it up best “It’s good dirt.” Cathy Corison, thank you.
Jan's list was six months in the making. "We hope it reflects the time, effort and love it has taken to produce and maintain it," he says proudly.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is at 68 Royal Hospital Rd, London SW3 4HP. You can keep up with Jan on Twitter @bloodysommelier
