Tamworth's Powerhouse Hotel restaurant becomes first in New England to win prestigious three glass rating in Gourmet Traveller Wine Awards

A lot of the job of picking out the best bottles for the high-class restaurant can be done without cracking a bottle, but hotel general manager Daine Cooper said he's partial to a glass to achieve the task.

There's no sour grapes for the hotel after its Workshop Restaurant was handed its first ever three glass rating in the prestigious Gourmet Traveller Wine Awards.

"I've been working at it for a long time, to be able to promote something in Tamworth to say we can do it just as good as the big metro areas," he said.

"My favorite time of the year is when I do a bit of an update to the wine list so I get to try and taste all these wines and see how they go."

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The high-class Tamworth restaurant, attached to the Powerhouse Hotel Tamworth by Rydges, was the first local eatery to be listed in the famous national awards, awarded its first glass in 2016.

Ever since, the hotel has climbed the ranks, winning the region's first two glass rating in 2017.

The Powerhouse can say it's among the best in the country, winning the maximum possible grade of three glasses in the 2022 Gourmet Traveller Wine Awards for the first time.

"Out of the entire country where there was many, many people entering, only 200 received three glass ratings over the probably thousands that entered," he said.

"That's why we're so excited about this award.

"It's basically saying that we're up there with places in Sydney, like Aalia, Glass [Brasserie], Bentley Bar and Grill all those high-flying restaurants down there."

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Mr Cooper said designing a wine list is about more than price.

Judges also gauge the quality of the physical menu, how effectively wine is paired with meals on the food menu, and more. Non-wine drinks like beer and spirits can also be considered.

He said one of the greatest joys in wine selection is finding a cheaper bottle that tastes like a million bucks.

That said, sometimes you need to splash out.

"There's nothing better than opening a $2000 bottle of Grange," he said.

Armidale restaurant Azka won a two glass rating in the Gourmet Traveller Wine Awards 2022.

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