We are proud to announce the recent awards and nominations bestowed on Roots Gourmet Restaurant
• American Express 2007/2008 platinum award
• Blazon de la Chaine des Rôtisseurs
• Eat Out 2008 - Top 20 Finalist
• Dine 2008 Wine Magazine - Top 10 deluxe Restaurant of the year
• Platinum Tourism Grading

November events
Wine Tasting with Rudera Estate and a Gourmet dinner by Executive chef Jason Francisco & head chef Leanne Roberts from Granny Mousse
Wednesday: 7 November 2007
Time: 19:00
Dinner: R350pp (including wine option)

Rudera
The dedication at Rudera Estate to a quality first approach resulted in Teddy Hall winning the Wine Magazine Chenin Challenge four times in the last five years (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005) and he won the 2001 Diners Club Winemaker of the year award. The Winemakers Guild invited him in 2002 to join their ranks. At the 2003 Rendez-vous du Chenin he was the most successful Chenin producer with four wines out of the top 49 international wines selected.
The Vineyards are all situated in Stellenbosch. Some in Koelenhof and the others in Faure and some close to Somerset West. Teddy Hall takes full responsibility for these vineyards and they are manicured to perfection.

    
Leanne Roberts from Granny Mouse
Leanne was previously at Bushmanskloof in the Cederberg, having trained at Silwood Kitchens and worked in London, France, and in exclusive retreats such as Londolozi game reserve.

 
‘The Intelligent grape'’

by Philippe Wagenfuhrer - Chef Patron Roots Restaurant

Food should never be without an accompanying wine. Best explained is to try and imagine food and wine having an affair. To any epicurean, wine is a critical part of any dining experience.
I have found that, in general, people are matching wine to food - and yes - it works for them. I prefer to purchase wine and handcraft food to accompany the wine, as once it is bottled, I can't touch it. Food, on the other hand, can be tailored to marry up with wine. For example, one can always order a salad with no vinegar in a restaurant to compliment the wine that has been chosen.
Wine is a part of my lifestyle, part of my DNA - and it started as a child growing up in France. I learnt how to appreciate and understand wine, and as a result, have a huge respect for wine makers and wine estates. This has defined my philosophy towards wine at Roots Restaurant.
Wine makers spend their lives ensuring that their land and grapes are of excellent quality, it is a life commitment running a winery. After the crop is harvested and his signature wine is produced, he then goes to the market and this is where he relinquishes control. A wine broker then steps in and sells the wines to various restaurants at a hefty profit. After this, the restaurant then adds their mark-up and sells it to their patrons. After this entire process, the wine maker ends up making very little margin on his sale, the broker makes their profit, the restaurant makes their profit and the patron usually pays an exorbitant amount of money for a bottle of wine.

 
At Roots Restaurant, we focus on "passion" sales rather than profit sales. We strive to offer our patrons excellent quality, value for money selections - and we think out of the box in order to sell wine at the right value. We manage to do this by travelling to the wine regions and showing our commitment and interest in the wine making process. We realise that by selling wine at the correct value, we will sell more and the wine maker will make more money - a win win situation.
Ultimately, wine is about conviviality, about sharing, about recognising special moments. It's not only about profitability. When restaurants sell wine at escalated prices, they are forgetting the original intrinsic value proposition of wine. Moreover, without realising it, if they dropped their profits they would sell more wine. It is my experience that a table of four would generally purchase one expensive bottle of wine, but at a competitive price, they are more likely to purchase three bottles of wine.
Restaurateurs, who have a genuine passion for wine and understand real value, should deal directly with the estates and build relationships with the wine makers. By doing so, they would be building relationships with the estates and would not only sell wine at a competitive rate; they will also be able to sell the wine more effectively to the customer because they would have an understanding of the history of the wine. This could roll out into wine tastings and similar wine evenings.
We need to find ways to think out of the box, to reinvent ways of selling wine in restaurants, to represent the wine industry in a manner in which they deserve. After all, a restaurant without good value, good quality wine is like a day without sunshine.
Reader Survey
We are constantly striving to improve our customer service, and this applies to our newsletter too! In order to create a better newsletter, we need your feedback. We have created an online survey, which will take less than 5 minutes to complete. All information is private and confidential, and will only be used to improve your experience.

 
Special Occasions at Roots
Christmas day lunch - 25 December 2007
Start your Christmas extraordinaire at Roots with a Chilled mulled wine and mince pies on arrival then continue with a 6 course gourmet lunch. If you are in Johannesburg try not to miss out on this memorable family occasion!
Christmas Day Lunch Menu
Terrine of Poussin and lobster wrapped in cucumber with a roasted grape and pistachio salad
********
Mousseline of foie gras with winter truffle froth, beetroot chutney and brioche
********
Tempura of tiger prawn, oyster and scallops on a cheviche of tilapia
********
Turkey sausage scented with dried cranberries, brussel sprout and parsnip salad, bread sauce and shoots
********
Duck miniature consisting of stuffed neck, salami, confit duck leg ravioli, tatin of apple and duck liver and crispy breast with asparagus
********
Assiette de Noël: Christmas pudding créme brulée, ganache petit four. Jelly of griottine and lemon sorbet
********
R395 per person
Bookings essential!

New years Celebration - 31 December 2007
Enjoy a spectacular evening of celebration at Roots. Start off with a cocktail party and continue with a 6 course dinner & dance. Finish the evening with a final countdown along with petit fours and champagne
New Years Celebration Menu
Potato and wild mushroom terrine with mushroom a la Grecques
********
Tuna loin filled with foie gras, spicy ceviche and naartjie sorbet
********
Asparagus with egg yolk ravioli and haddock nage
********
Tournedos of veal with garlic escargot sausage on a chevre sauce and leek ribbons
********
Tender loin of beef with lobster, braised endives, bourguignone sauce
********
Ivory chocolate mouse with a rose scented froth, pistachio sticks
********
Countdown with petit fours & champagne
R550 per person
Bookings essential!

Also remember

 
Remember to think out of the box when you purchase your next bottle of wine and think of the passion that went into it - then try and match it to a good dining experience, share and enjoy the special moment!
Friendly Hominid Regards,
Juanita Marais