Lack Of Local Wines In Restaurants Criticised

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29827, 21 May 1962, Page 13

Lack Of Local Wines In Restaurants Criticised

Wine-makers feel their products are not being given sufficient prominence on the wine-lists, in licensed restaurants. “We all remembered the crocodile tears they used to shed pleading for the law to be amended so that they could serve light wines with meals to satisfy the tourist trade. Now that they can sell liquor with meals, do they really try to satisfy the curious tourist with a variety of local wines at the local price? Or they endeavouring to give the Australians, American and other tourists the wines of their own countries?” Mr G. Mazuran, president of the Viticulture Association, said in his annual report. “How ridiculous ■* this is, when everyone knows that

all tourists are the same; always looking for something different in scenery, food, and the wines of the country they are visiting. One wonders whether these restaurateurs are really trying to cater for the tourist or whether they are after a monopolistic licence, protected by the law of the country, in order to ‘get rich quick.*

“I am shocked at our Parliamentarians in licensing the restaurants along these lines. They had sufficient evidence before them when licensing of restaurants was considered. We, in our own submissions, have pointed out the way overseas restaurants are run and. if they do not proceed along these lines, what the consequences will be.

“Overseas countries restrict the sale of liquor in restaurants to the local wines, and in some cases local ales. Hotels on the other hand sell all liquors. Why not the same in New Zealand? In my opinion, it will be a long time before New Zealand wines get their rightful place on the tables of New Zealand restaurants, as in overseas countries. Restaurants, like the hotels, will go on selling overseas wines whenever possible. Only from sheer necessity, and lack of overseas exchange, will they reluctantly keep some on hand, unless Parliament alters the law along the lines of overseas- countries,” Mr Mazuran said. Restaurants earlier were selling locally produced sauterne at £2 a bottle, he said. This “ridiculous" charge was reduced when it became apparent that the "number of fools was insufficient.”