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State Winner ACT: The Ginger Room, Canberra

Australian chefs have long been confident in their multicultural approach to food, and this year we’ve seen that confidence extend to the wine list, with more Aussie lists going international. The Ginger Room in Old Parliament House in Canberra is a champion of this fresh new style.

Created by head sommelier Frederic Rivard, it treats the world as its wine stage, dipping into the wine regions of South America, New Zealand and Europe.

For proof, look no further than the opening credits – wines by the glass – where 15 wines hail from six different countries. The selections are daring and challenging. Do you go for a Polish Hill riesling, a Central Otago pinot gris, a Chablis, a Piedmont nebbiolo or a Spanish grenache off 100-year-old vines? Tough decision – and there are still 19 pages to go.

Rivard started work on the list four years ago when The Ginger Room opened, and describes it as a work in progress. He says he wants to engage customers who are inclined to try something new, but he doesn’t want to isolate or intimidate the less adventurous. It’s a balance.

In fact, he’s never sure how a wine will go and enjoys seeing something accepted.

 “Verdelho has been very successful, and at one stage we put a Côtes du Rhône on by the glass that went really well,” he says.

The Ginger Room wine list is a confident, focused selection that matches the clean, Asian-inspired modern Australian food.

Wines are listed under variety rather than origin – how very egalitarian. The only exception is a separate section that’s devoted to the wines of the Canberra District. Understandable, really.

The Ginger Room, Old Parliament House, King George Tce, Parkes, ACT, (02) 6273 4366, www.gingercatering.com.au.

TEXT JENI PORT

This article appeared in the August/September 2008 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.