For 28 years, one of the leading wine magazines in the world, Wine Spectator, has been celebrating restaurants that have the best wine lists. The restaurants that receive awards are selected for the breadth, depth and appeal of their wine selections in their August edition feature titled "The Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers" .
The awards are given at three levels: the Award of Excellence; the more accomplished Best of Award of Excellence; and at the pinnacle, the Grand Award. The Grand Award honours outstanding restaurants with extraordinary wine programmes.
In 2009, only 72 restaurants earned Grand Awards. They represent 14 countries and 15 US states with only two in the Caribbean, the Malliouhana Restaurant (Grand Award since 1999) in Anguilla and Graycliff (Grand Award since 1988) in the Bahamas.Graycliff is a renovated 260-year-old British-Colonial- style grand estate in Nassau.
It was built in the 1700s by the then notorious pirate Captain John Howard Graysmith who commanded the plundering schooner Graywolf, and established in 1844 as Nassau's first inn. The location is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as it has had a very rich and colourful heritage.
In 1776 when Nassau was captured by the American Navy, Graycliff became their headquarters and garrisons. Royalty bought Graycliff in 1966, in the personages of Lord and Lady Dudley, Third Earl of Staffordshire. During their time, Graycliff hosted dukes, lords and famous British politicians such as Sir Winston Churchill.
The home was turned into the now world- famous restaurant and 20-room hotel when it was bought by Enrico and Anna Maria Garzaroli in 1973. Recent expansions have added a cigar factory, a spa and gym to the Garzaroli family-run establishment.Wines, Cognacs, Armagnacs and Ports.
Today the Graycliff wine cellar is world-renowned and the wine collection has been widely celebrated with over 275,000 bottles of 4,000 selections from over 15 countries. I caught up with Wine Steward Garry Parks; of Jamaican descent, he is celebrating 31 years of service with Graycliff this year, and took me on a tour of the densely packed cellars.
The cellars are a wine connoisseur's dream with some of the world most sought-after wines of multiple vintages in store. Garry selected a few of the most celebrated wines to show me, like the 1727 Rudesheimer Apostelwein from the Rheinghau region. Priced at US$200,000, it is one the oldest and most expensive wines in the world. Special bottles like the first ever vintage of Sassicaia - (the 1968, he has only two left and French picks such as the 1865 Chateau Lafite. Graycliff also boasts a Cognacteque, a unique collection of Cognacs, Armagnacs and Ports which can be paired with one of the cigars from Graycliff's humidor.
Cheers! As a wine lover, consider using the online Wine Spectator Free Restaurant search tool.
Chris Reckord is an independent wine consultant who operates DeVine Wine Services with his wife Kerri-Anne. Chris & Kerri are also part owners of Jamaica's first and only wine-only bar -Bin 26 Wine Bar. Please send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com . Follow us on http://twitter.com/DeVineWines
In pull out box:
What I am drinking: Grgich Hills, Merlot, Napa Valley, 2002
While at Graycliff, with so much to choose from, I decided to stay in North America, as I was looking for a decent half-bottle and this was it. This estate-grown Grgich Hills Merlot is an exquisite blend of ripe strawberries and cherries, bound in super-supple tannins, with an everlasting finish. This food-friendly Merlot worked great with the beef that I had for dinner.