Quilon wins Most Innovative and Exciting Wine List
Quilon has received the ‘Most Innovative and Exciting Wine List’ 2015 Award at the Condé Nast Johansens Taittinger UK Wine List Awards at the 33rd Annual Awards Dinner in London last month.
Commenting on the entries, head judge Sarah Jane Evans MW, Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine and award winning wine writer, noted the ever-higher standard of entries and commented that they focussed on demonstrated value for money, engaging and educating guests, a flair for personality and clear, engaging, well-designed and approachable layouts.
“When you find the good ones, it is so inspiring. An award-winning list does not have to have pages and pages of wines; we were attracted by those that showed an individual character and an understanding of guests’ needs,” she said.
The panel of judges described Quilon’s wine list as “A list that is truly innovative in its categorisation and one that encourages the diner to set off on a journey of discovery. A top quality list.”
South West Coastal Indian cuisine
A dedication to the freshest ingredients and a playful desire to blend traditional home-cooking with modern dishes for a thrilling and unique dining experience make Michelin-starred Quilon famous for its award winning and progressive South West Coastal Indian cuisine.
Chef Sriram Aylur’s goal of creating contemporary Indian South West Coastal fare, without compromising the soul of the cuisine, has been achieved through a genuine love of food and a real understanding of the cultural and ethnic diversity of the region.
The wine list has been crafted with the same level of attention to detail, reflecting the cuisine offering of flair, style and a deep respect for authenticity. The award-winning wine and beer list is handpicked to complement the contrasting flavours and subtle textures featured on the menu at Quilon.
Assistance of Peter McCombie, Master of Wine
Quilon solicited the assistance of Peter McCombie, Master of Wine to compile the wine list to accompany the sophisticated spicing and flavours of the menu. While all of the wines on Quilon’s list have been chosen because of their quality and character, the primary goal was to find wines that offered drinking pleasure.
Many of these wines are classics, from well-known European appellations and top producers. Others represent the best of the New World, but also include exciting styles from emerging, lesser-known regions.
There is something for every palate and an effort to make it easy to find appealing wines by grouping them broad stylistic categories to offer guidance – some wines are grouped by variety; others reflect their origin.
‘Light, crisp & dry’ whites for example are versatile across the menu, but especially with vegetable and fish dishes; ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ is incredibly popular and offers a range of flavours from green and herbal to tropical; while ‘Mediterranean’ covers not just Mediterranean origin but that warm, easy climate that produces generous wines with smooth tannins that harmonise with warm spicing, if red, and if white, soft acidity.
Guidelines for pairing
As well as a strong selection of classics, certain styles and origins are particularly well represented because they are versatile and complement Quilon’s cuisine well. The philosophy of the selection is that food and wine matching are not a science, but that it is possible to establish guidelines – rather than rules – for pairing. While there are certain combinations that seem natural and ‘correct’, the final decision should rest with the diner. And while some of wines may be unfamiliar to the diner, they’re encouraged to experiment.
Quilon, 41 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AF
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