Ventnor’s The Terrace Rooms and Wine has won the Best UK New Zealand Wine list at March’s Star Wine List awards.
A global guide to the world’s best wine bars and restaurants, the UK awards, co-hosted with trade magazine The Buyer, are a key part of the UK wine calendar and were this year contested by the likes of The Ledbury, Chez Bruce, Noble Rot, The Clove Club, Core by Clair Smyth and a host of other renowned restaurants.
The Judges, including Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, said of The Terrace’s winning New Zealand selection,
“This restaurant has a broad selection including top producers and some mature wines, showing how New Zealand can produce world class wines of different varieties. The diversity of different producers and styles is exemplary…”
Opened in July 2022 by Ashley and Tom Fahey, The Terrace Rooms and Wine launched following a one-year restoration and refurbishment of the iconic St Augustine Villa on the edge of Ventnor Bay, Isle of Wight.
The Wine Room
At the heart of the six-bed guest house is a “library” of 750 different wines available to takeaway or drink in overlooking Ventnor Bay. Wines start at £9 to go and £19 to drink in, with inventive buying designed to cover all key international wine styles within an inviting price-point below £100.
Owner and buyer, Tom Fahey, said,
“This award means a great deal to us.
“We work hard for our guests but recognition from peers in the wine trade means so, so much, especially as we are both new to buying wine in the UK – we’ve really found ourselves welcomed by the trade”
“We’re still relatively unknown”
As Ashley echoes,
“It really means a lot to us. We’re not in London, we don’t have a Michelin star and we’re still relatively unknown.
“I’m also proud to have done this on the Isle of Wight in a beautiful town where my grandparents ran a B&B. One reason we opened with a wine-led concept was because we couldn’t buy the wines we wanted to drink here. It’s only when you start buying that you can see why – the ferries add a cost and time wrinkle that requires a lot of effort to overcome if we want to be price competitive.”
Fahey: Every wine lover will find an intriguing, well-priced bottle
Tom adds,
“Our list hopefully makes us a destination where every wine lover will find an intriguing, well-priced bottle, but it is also a list for those who are simply curious about wine.
“To drink in, we are cheaper by the bottle than anywhere else – a conscious decision based on our absolute passion for spreading enjoyment of wine. For that to happen we have to be accessible.
“I buy to achieve this – it is my number one motivator. It’s also why every stay at the hotel includes a complimentary wine tasting which I host nightly at 5pm.”
Cheffing on superyachts
The focus on New Zealand came from Ashley’s 18 month stint in Aukland as a chef on super yachts where she discovered there was a lot more to New Zealand wine than Sauvignon Blanc.
“When I came back to the UK after so long away I was surprised not to find the Rieslings, Alberinos, Montepulcianos and Syrahs I’d been enjoying in New Zealand. Years later, once we opened here, I started exploring and actually it’s all available, it just takes effort to uncover.”
Fahey: It really is a special balance
Tom’s buying is now driven mainly by taste and price which he feels New Zealand is uniquely placed to deliver.
“I am constantly shocked at the deliciousness and range of New Zealand wine at the price point achieved.
“I didn’t intend to gravitate to it, but every single tasting we attend, I don’t think any one country outdoes New Zealand in terms freshness, flavour and value.
“It’s sunny so you get amazing ripeness, but the sea breezes cool things down to preserve acidity. It really is a special balance.”
To celebrate the award you can buy a bottle of “V” Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at the discounted
price of £10 to take away or £20 to drink-in throughout March. Down from £15 and £25.
