South African wine shines at The Savoy’s new Beaufort Wine Bar
· The South African
Romain Audrerie greeted us with a Montrachet surprise, quickly followed by a welcome glass of English sparkling rosé.
Visit albergomalica.it for more information.
The famous Beaufort Bar, built on the hotel’s old cabaret stage, has turned its focus from cocktails to wine.
For a South African in London, the best part was simple. Our wines are on the list, and they hold their own.
The jet-black and gold Art Deco room still feels like a night at the theatre. What has changed is what is in your glass.
The full list runs to more than 250 wines from 18 countries, with vintages from 1975 to 2025. Coravin technology lets the team pour rare bottles without pulling the cork. It means you can explore serious wines one glass at a time.
Romain is head sommelier and manager of the Beaufort Wine Bar. He brings more than 15 years in international hospitality.
He was part of the opening team at Chiltern Firehouse and later global wine director for André Balazs Properties. We were spoilt from start to finish.
South African wine on the Beaufort Wine Bar list
My wine collection includes every vintage of Vin de Constance ever made, so I let that one pass.
Instead, Romain poured the 1996 Château d’Yquem, a rare treat by the glass. Thirty years on, it was rich and golden, with caramel, honey and dried apricot.
It is a very different style to Vin de Constance, which is made from Muscat and feels fresher and more floral. Seeing Cape wine on the list at The Savoy, among the most famous labels in the world, was a proud moment.
RELATED | A moment captured: Tasting history at Klein Constantia
For the rest of the evening, I stuck to my go-to favourites, a selection of great French reds. That is no slight on the Cape. South Africa and France have shared a glass for centuries, from the Huguenots who settled in Franschhoek to the Bordeaux names now invested in the Cape.
“South Africa is one of the most exciting wine countries in the world right now,” says Romain.
“You have more than three centuries of history in Constantia and a new generation pushing boundaries in the Swartland. I wanted our guests to discover that. A great South African wine can sit next to a great Bordeaux and hold its own.”
The South African wines on the Beaufort Wine Bar menu
Romain’s list has nine South African wines, and four are poured by the glass.
- 2024 Thorne & Daughters ‘Tin Soldier’ Semillon Gris, Swartland (by the glass)
- 2024 Leeu Passant Chardonnay, Stellenbosch (by the glass)
- 2024 The Sadie Family Wines ‘Mev. Kirsten’, Stellenbosch
- 2019 Momento Tinta Barocca, Western Cape (by the glass)
- 2022 Mullineux Syrah, Swartland
- 2022 Beaumont Family Wines ‘Far Side’ Mourvèdre, Overberg
- 2021 Restless River ‘Main Road & Dignity’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Hemel-en-Aarde
- 2015 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, Constantia (by the glass)
- 2010 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, Constantia
It is a smart selection. New-wave names from the Swartland sit alongside top estates and the Cape’s most famous sweet wine.
There is a bonus South African link too. The Ice Cyder on the sweet list comes from The Newt in Somerset, the English sister estate of Babylonstoren, owned by South Africans Koos Bekker and Karen Roos.
For South Africans, Vin de Constance carries real pride. It revives the sweet wine of Constantia, which Napoleon loved and Jane Austen mentioned in Sense and Sensibility. Seeing it on a list at The Savoy feels like a homecoming of sorts. It is back at the great tables of Europe, where it always belonged.
Klein Constantia’s Matt Day on the Beaufort Wine Bar
Matt Day has been winemaker at Klein Constantia since 2012. He is only the third winemaker since the estate was revived in the 1980s. Klein Constantia also has strong French ties. Bordeaux figures Hubert de Boüard of Château Angélus and Bruno Prats are among its shareholders.
“We are always proud to be on the wine list at The Savoy,” says Matt.
“It is one of the great hotels of the world, and the Beaufort has always been a special room. It was a privilege to visit the room with Nicolas Schell in June as they prepared for launch. South African wine belongs alongside the classics of France. We are delighted to support The Savoy, and Romain and the team at the Beaufort.”
READ | Why is Klein Constantia Africa’s top vineyard? Here’s what the world just decided
Is the Beaufort Wine Bar worth a visit?
Yes, especially for a special occasion. Prices reflect The Savoy address, but the huge by-the-glass list means you can explore without committing to a bottle. There is food too. Charcuterie and Jamón Ibérico are carved tableside from a custom flywheel slicer trolley, and there is a caviar selection.
For South Africans in London, it is a chance to raise a glass of home in one of the city’s grandest rooms. Ask Romain and his team what is pouring from the Cape. Four South African wines are poured by the glass.
Beaufort Wine Bar, The Savoy, Strand, London WC2R 0EZ.
A big thank you to my son Tanguy, who works at The Savoy, for inviting my wife and me. It made the night extra special, and a lot kinder on the wallet.
Have you visited the Beaufort Wine Bar, or found a great South African wine list in London?
By James Durrant