Top Venues Compete For Industry Award In ‘The Big French Wines Match 2006’ - Finalists Announced!
 Already a successful and established industry event, ‘The Big French Wines Match’ Competition is now in its fifth year and is gaining in popularity. The highly competitive contest invites the country’s leading restaurateurs, sommeliers and chefs to put their noses, palates and wits to the test to select the ultimate food and wine combination.
On Monday August 22nd the finalists of this year’s competition were announced, who will now assemble at The Restaurant Show at Olympia, London, to compete for the title of the Big French Wines Match Champion on 20th September in front of a panel of experts.
The competition challenges the food and wine matching skills of the UK on trade and consists of two categories: one for restaurants or hotels, and one for pubs or wine bars. The finalists are challenged to find the best French wine for each course of a menu specially designed by highly regarded chef Richard Corrigan, owner of the award winning Lindsay House, co-presenter BBC’s ‘Full on Food’ and a member of the Culinary Council at British Airways. And it won’t be easy … with 28 French wines to consider from over ten regions, from Languedoc to the Loire Valley, Burgundy to Bordeaux, all with the added pressure of a live audience!
Thierry Talibon, Big French Wines Match judge and wine consultant commented,
“We are delighted to see the superb quality of this year’s candidates. This is great for the restaurant and wine industry, as well as for the customers at the restaurants, hotels and pubs where the knowledge of French wines is outstanding. More and more people are aware of French wine and its diversity, flavours and aromas and the finalists here have a superb level of knowledge, and passion for French wines and how they can be paired with a wide variety of food.”
Tate Britain Restaurant, Bentley’s, Morgan M and L’Artisan at the Westbury Hotel from London have made the final for the Restaurant/Hotel category along with Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh and Café de Paris in Guildford.
Having walked away as Champion in 2005, Keith Reeves, Sommelier at The Walpole Arms in Norwich, will attempt to retain his crown in the Pub/Wine Bar category. This is sure to be a tense contest as he is up against stiff competition from The George Inn in Sittingbourne, Bedford & Strand in London and newcomer The Thomas Cubitt, also from London which opened last year.
The judging panel, which consists of a select group of esteemed sommeliers, wine experts, writers and chefs includes Richard Corrigan, Xavier Le Bellego (Forbury’s Restaurant) and Andy Sparrow (formerly wine buyer for British Airways), will select a winner in each category to be crowned Big French Wines Match Champion 2006.
For more information visit www.frenchwinesmatch.co.uk
The Big French Wines Match is divided into two categories: Hotels/Restaurants and Pubs/Wine Bars.
Finalists
Restaurant / Hotel Category - Finalists
- Harvey Nichols, Edinburgh
- Café de Paris, Guildford
- L’Artisan at the Westbury Hotel, London
- Bentley’s, London
- Morgan M, London
- Tate Britain Restaurant, London
Pub / Wine Bar Category - Finalists
- The Walpole Arms, Norwich
- The George Inn, Sittingbourne
- The Thomas Cubitt, London
- Bedford & Strand, London
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