Hawkes Bay winery restaurant voted among world's top 20

The restaurant at Havelock North winery Craggy Range has been voted among the top 20 of the world’s best.

Terrôir at Craggy Range is the only New Zealand winery restaurant on the list of 20 Best Winery Restaurants Around the World and sits proudly alongside eateries from 11 countries including Spain, Italy, Portugal South Africa and the United States.

Terrôir at Craggy Range came in at 14th place in the list produced by New York online publication ‘The Daily Meal’.

And in another development, Craggy Range is also a finalist in the New World Winery Awards category of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s 2013 Wine Star Awards for which winners are announced in January.

The Daily Meal Award panellists comprising U.S. food and wine writers, wine experts, sommeliers and bloggers cast their vote based on cuisine, wine, winery experience and style, décor and service.

The Daily Meal stated its top 20 list was “carefully curated through a three-month-long nomination process consulting with the Michelin Guide and other trusted sources”. The site also gathered recommendations from its editors and contributors, who “have travelled and dined extensively around the world”.

The Daily Meal article says the panellists voted only for the restaurants they believed to be extraordinary. In the wine category, panellists judged the wines available in the restaurant and specifically looked for wines that are balanced, harmonious, complex and paired effectively with the dishes.

Finally, the overall dining experience was assessed from the restaurant’s interior design and dining room ambience to the skill and efficiency of the service.

Craggy Range COO Michael Wilding says the award is a “wonderful accolade” for the 16 year old winery.

“The Daily Meal honour is testament to the exceptional service provided by the Terrôir team as well as recognition of our head chef Leyton’s ambition to showcase the best produce from New Zealand presented in a style that is simple and real,” Wilding says.

Terrôir at Craggy Range head chef Leyton Ashley says the award results from dedicated teamwork.

“As you can see from the criteria it’s not just the food that counts for The Daily Meal award, it’s the entire dining experience. That’s something we have always focused on but even then it’s pretty amazing to receive this tribute. Everybody’s thrilled I can tell you,” Ashley says.

The Daily Meal is an American news site covering all things food and drink and comprising original content and video from editors, industry insiders, tastemakers and the user community. Its features range across the site’s multiple channels and it also produces a range of annual reports on the food industry.

It ranks among the top 10 in its competitor landscape - websites offering a full-bodied content model dedicated to food and drink. According to parent company Spanfeller Media Group, The Daily Meal reaches more than five million culinary enthusiasts worldwide.

The Daily Meal says its top 20 list was “carefully curated through a three-month-long nomination process consulting with the Michelin Guide and other trusted sources”. The site also gathered recommendations from its editors and contributors, who “have travelled and dined extensively around the world”.

For the purposes of compiling the list, location was not a determining factor. Of the 67 countries that produce wine around the world, all were considered. The list includes winery restaurants in 11 countries — Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and the U.S — and 18 cities.

The Daily Meal says “some notable restaurants that made the cut include…Terrôir at Craggy Range in Havelock North, New Zealand”.

With six entries, the U.S. has the most restaurants on the list which it says is “not surprising…given that it is the fourth-largest producer of wine in the world”. The U.S. is the largest consumer of wine in the world, with an estimated US$34.6 billion in total sales in 2012, according to the country’s Wine Institute.

 

About Craggy Range Winery

Craggy Range is a family owned winery established in 1997. It is situated in the shadow of the spectacular Te Mata Peak in the premium wine growing area of Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Based on the single vineyard philosophy of winemaking, Craggy Range was the first in the Southern Hemisphere to make single vineyard wines from multiple New Zealand regions with grape varieties matched to place. The winery produces a portfolio of quality wines including the iconic Prestige and Family collections, as well as Limited Editions all reflecting the place and the people.  The grapes, grown in exceptional winery-owned New Zealand estate vineyards in Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough and Marlborough are selected for their special soils and unique climates producing wines of character, quality and authority. The architecturally inspired Giants winery complex and vineyard is also home to the Craggy Range Cellar Door and the award winning restaurant Terrôir at Craggy Range. Nestled amongst the vines, the Craggy Range Vineyard Cottages offer self-contained boutique accommodation. For more visit www.craggyrange.com.