In a glass of their own

Nov 23 2007 by Helen Savage, The Journal

I’D be very surprised if there are many restaurateurs in the country who know more about wine than Emily and Tom Sillar.

Their pedigree in the wine trade is impeccable and their enthusiasm for good wine boundless. I met them at their restaurant Comfort @ Meldon Park, in the tastefully-converted outbuildings of a fine 1832 house built by John Dobson, overlooking a fabulous walled-garden, set in rolling green Northumbrian countryside near Hartburn.

Although Emily hails from Alnwick and Tom from Galashiels, they met in the south when they were both working in the wine trade (according to Tom, Emily was his best customer). Individually they’ve held senior positions in a roll-call of some of the most influential players in the business including Oddbins, Virgins Wines, Southcorp, Berkmann Wine Cellars and Lay and Wheeler.

Three years ago, they decided to come home to the North and combine their passion for food and wine by opening a restaurant in Newcastle. When the owners of Meldon Park, James and Emily Cookson, offered them the opportunity earlier this year to open another restaurant much nearer their Alnwick home, they were delighted. Not only did it offer them more space, but as Tom says: “We’re all about local food, traditionally raised, and Meldon Park puts us right where the food comes from.”

They set to work on their wine list. “As we have a wealth of wine connections we decided to really let rip,” explains Emily. “We wanted to put together a really great list; not so much a Michelin-starred affair, but one full of very good wines that will go well with food.”

They also proved tough negotiators. Tom reminded one rep: “Look, I once used to be your boss’s boss’s boss. I know this business – so just tell me the real price!”

The price of wine in restaurants is a huge bone of contention. Emily admits that “some restaurants scalp people, especially for the finest wines on their lists.”

But she argues this is to no-one’s benefit if the price is so high that no-one will buy it. “Wine doesn’t make money if it just sits on the shelf. So, stuff this, let’s have fun and try something different. We still have to hold the stock and take a hit if there’s wastage, but as far as possible we’ll cut our prices.”

And that’s exactly what they’ve done.

We tasted some of them together, starting with Coriole Chenin Blanc 2006 from Australia’s MacLaren Vale. Fresh, clean and peachy, but with deliciously crisp acidity and real intensity, it is listed, very temptingly at £17.95, the same price as Casal Casino Albariño 2005, a gloriously fragrant but subtle dry white from north west Spain, and also Kim Crawford Gewurztraminer 2005 from New Zealand, a terrific example, with a ripe banana, rose petal and kiwi fruit fragrance and a soft, spicily fruity taste, balanced by unusually crisp acidity for the variety. “I haven’t sold a bottle of this yet!” lamented Emily. “People are very cautious when it comes to wine; they tend just to stick to something they’ve heard of.”

In an attempt to persuade their customers to try new things Emily and Tom now offer half a glass (70ml) servings of a range of wines. “We hope that people will have fun trying two or three different things.” They also recognise that such small amounts are ideal for anyone who’s got to drive.

The bargain of the list is, I think, another Coriole wine – a gloriously unusual 2005 red made from Tuscany’s Sangiovese grape that bursts with bitter cherry fruit in a way that Chianti never quite achieves. It’s just £16.95. And then if you want a truly special red, there’s Te Mata Syrah 2005 from one of New Zealand’s very best estates. It’s £26.95, but the mark-up is very modest for such a fine bottle with its intense, complex, lingering flavours.

I could go on: there are loads more treasures here from all around the globe. I really do hope that Emily and Tom’s brave attempt to make such fine and interesting wine accessible succeeds and that other restaurants can be persuaded to offer really good wines like these at sensible prices.

Comfort @ Meldon Park, The Kitchen Garden, Meldon Park, Northumberland, (01670) 772 583.

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Wine of the week

Lenz Moser 'Prestige' Blauer Zweigelt 2005, Aldi, £4.99

This Austrian red is a fantastic bargain - soft, juicy and generously fruity with the taste of spicy plums and black cherries and an almost floral fragrance. Snap it up quick and enjoy it with pasta dishes or just on its own.