Tourism News

Gate House garners 6th Wine Spectator award

Story and photos by Suzanne Nielsen and reprinted with permission of the Daily Herald.

May 31, 2006

The Gate House restaurant has been awarded its sixth consecutive Wine Spectator award.

Proprietor and sommelier Lyliane Job said that the establishment, one of Saba's premier boutique hotels, was notified in early May that the official announcement would be published in Wine Spectator Magazine's award issue in August.

Lyliane said that the international award had proven to be a business boon, as many clients mention that it is what drew them to the restaurant. The Gate House now has 150 appellations and a cave with over 1,200 bottles. Job said that this year she had tried to enhance the collection's depth, adding new vintages to some of the great names already served. She added that customers should always ask for wines that are not on the wine list, "You never know what I might have in a corner of the Gate House cave," she said with a wink.

Lyliane is always on the lookout for new wines for her customers, and even took time out from a recent family visit to research California's Napa Valley offering. The Gate House serves wine from the United States, Chile, Spain, and Italy, but the emphasis is definitely on French wines. "I can offer these at a good price," Job reasoned. Indeed, Job is working over her pricing structure to make high-end wines more accessible. "I would rather cut my margin and see people enjoy the product, that's what it's all about," she explained.

Guests have the opportunity of fine-tuning their palette with wine tasting events at the Gate House. Lyliane will go through an array of wines, explaining heritage, refinements, and why the particular bottle will increase the enjoyment of the dish it accompanies. Guests may then remain to enjoy a meal of the French-Creole cuisine prepared by Chef Michel Job.

The Gate House also works with the Vocational Branch of the Saba Comprehensive School, to teach tourism students how to serve in a fine restaurant, anticipate the wishes of their clients, and assist them make appropriate choices for their dining enjoyment.

Photo (top): Sommelier Lyliane Job in the Cave of the Gate House.

Click here for a larger version of the photo.

Photo (bottom): The Gate House, just five minutes from Saba's Airport.

Click here for a larger version of the photo.


Back to tourism news page.

Story and photograph © Suzanne Nielsen, 2005.