I am by no means a wine aficionado – I’m one of those people that will choose a bottle based on the label design and I’m more than happy to sink a bottle of plonk that was purchased with my loose change.
So for someone like me to happen upon a place like Claret House is probably a bit of a waste, but I know a fancy time when I see one and these guys have got the goods.
This review only just touches the sides of what Claret House has to offer, as my visit involved a quick few glasses of white while my posse waited for our friends’ nuptials to begin over on the river. They offer a wide range of sparkling, reds, whites and in-betweens, but also available is a lovely dinner and dessert menu, as well as cheese platters.
JPC happened to know the owner, so we were attended to promptly when our group of 8 descended on the Claret House porch front. The smartly dressed waiter quickly assessed our (limited) requirements for thirst quenching and presented us with a couple of recommendations that were capable of satisfying our budget and palates.
A beautiful setting for an afternoon glass of French wine and a cheese platter, the Claret House porch is located down under the old Wool Stores in Teneriffe and is a great people watching spot. Inside is a cosy, old school cigar-bar style get-up; a long, old wooden bar with a few lonely stools and a wall lined with a range of reds too great to even contemplate counting. The ceiling of old wooden chairs hanging precariously overhead is a nice touch.
Back to our uncultured party of 8…we cracked a bottle of the Waipara Hills (NZ) chardonnay ($42) and the Domaine Schlumberger pinot blanc (very French and not sure on the price tag!). Our crisp, clear medicine was poured into the most beautiful and delicate tall stemmed white wine glasses and imbibed with consummate ease.
Needless to say, we were all impressed with the ambience, service and range of wines available at Claret House – if it weren’t for the wedding we had to get to, I’m sure we would’ve settled in for a few more rounds and sampled the menu as well. I’ll definitely be returning to sip a few more of their delicious whites, accompanied by a plate of creamy local and overseas cheeses.
- Claret House Wine Bar, Shop 5 36 Vernon Tce, Teneriffe +61 7 3257 0402
Its looks like expensive wine. Nice post , keep it up.