Icewine by the glass hits Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London
Written by: Paxton
“Peller Estates Icewine is a rare gift from a magical Canadian winter.” pellericewine.com
“From a breathtaking winter comes a magical wine.” pellericewine.com
On a resent visit to Peller Estates I was curious to hear through the grapevine that Gordon Ramsay's restaurant was selling Peller Icewine. If you follow my blog at all, you'll know that I tried to see Ramsay when he was in Toronto with no luck a couple months ago, and that I have a particular interest in what he's up to right now.
I followed my curiosity and ended up getting in touch with Greg Berti, Peller's Vice President Estate Wines and Global Markets. Berti told me that the Icewine has been at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay since February, and also at a couple other restaurants of Ramsay's in the UK.
If you're not familiar, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is one of the top restaurants in the world with three Michelin stars. It's a small restaurant that fits only 40 guests, and to reserve a spot you need to book two calendar months in advance. According to Ramsay's website: "Restaurant Gordon Ramsay offers exquisitely simple French cuisine enthusing the senses with subtle flavours, creative flair and a delicate finesse."
I went to Gordon Ramsay's website (www.gordonramsay.com) to see if I could find the wine list and sure enough I did. I downloaded the 40 page pdf document and it turns out that Inniskillin also has their Icewine on the list (Vidal Sparkling Icewine: £152 and Riesling Icewine: £185 but only by bottle, whereas the Andrew Peller Signature Series 2006 Vidal Icewine is by the glass (2oz) at £23. These are the only Canadian wines on the list - but at least they are on the list! And when you think $50 CAD a bottle for Icewine is expensive, it's sure a lot more affordable than in London's best restaurants!
When Restaurant Gordon Ramsay initially was considering purchasing Peller Icewine something that caught their interest was the fact that Peller Estates was doing "Icewine Cuisine". Icewine Cuisine, which includes dining and cooking with Icewine, has much to do with the pioneering effort of Peller's renowned Chef Jason Parsons.
Head Sommerlier Jean-Marie Pratt, who represents numerous Gordon Ramsay restaurants, recently came by Peller Estates winery and barrel sampled the new 2007 Vidal Icewine, and was again impressed, so he's decided to purchase again.
Greg Berti is very pleased with Peller's Icewine sales to date. They're "twice as much as expected" and he seems optimistic that sales will only go up. Greg told me that Peller Icewine is in 22 countries and that there's enough product to supply a growing international demand. Notably, they also have their flagship Ice Cuvee Sparkling wine being poured in England as well, although not at Gordon Ramsay's. Berti also said that Peller's riesling is also in a prime position to expand their international portfolio.
For more information about Peller Icewine and Icewine Cuisine please visit Peller's beautiful Icewine website: www.pellericewine.com
P.S. If you're thinking of booking a table at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay keep in mind the dress code: "Smart with jackets preferred for gentlemen. Jeans, T-shirts or sportswear not accepted."
Photo Credit: Peller Estates
