Amsterdam's Hotel De L'Europe Wins Wine Spectator Award of Excellence

  • September 15, 2012
Amsterdam's Hotel De L'Europe Wins Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
As the second-tier award out of a possible three awards, the Best of Award of Excellence was created to give special recognition to restaurants that exceeded the requirements of the first-tier Award of Excellence and are very close to receiving the top Grand Award. According to Wine Spectator guidelines, the 878 winners of the award had to demonstrate a wide spread of several winegrowing regions or by offering vintage depth with vertical offerings.

Bord'Eau only opened its doors July 2011 when the hotel re-opened from an extensive renovation. With a passionate palate and great enthusiasm for discovering new finds, De L'Europe's chef sommelier Dannis Apeldoorn is responsible for the luxury property's comprehensive wine program, which includes curating inventive lists for the hotel's restaurants and private event rooms.

“We are very delighted with the award and it's a true honor,” said Apeldoorn. “We've worked diligently as a team to bring our culinary offerings to a standard of excellence, and to be recognized with the award upon our first year of entry is quite an achievement. We're beyond thrilled!”

In preparation for De L'Europe's grand re-opening, Dannis visited France's Languedoc region and working with top negociants, winemakers and wineries, sought their best grapes to personally blend exclusive De L'Europe red (composed of multiple lots of Merlot from vineyards of the Moueix family) and white (50% sauvignon blanc/30% chardonnay / 20% viognier) house wines. His wine program at the hotel involves tastings, dynamic tours and interactive seminars and may be scheduled by appointment (up to 12 persons, €18 - 48 p.p.).

Apeldoorn works closely with executive chef Richard van Oostenbrugge to ensure his selections from global master vintners pair beautifully with the gourmet delights from Bord'Eau, as well as the deliciously casual, Hoofdstad Brasserie. Wines on the list are priced from €29.50 to €1,895, with 78 bottles under €50, the alcohol content is noted next to each.

The award and full list of awards can be seen in the August 31, 2012 issue of Wine Spectator.

About: Hotel de L'Europe