Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Wine Tasting of Chateau de Villars Fontaine, Bourgogne – Bangkok

Friday, August 8th, 2008

Wine Tasting Held At:
Dubliner
440 Sukhumvit Rd,
(Washington Square, Soi 22)
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. +66 2204 1841/2

Bernard Hudelot who is both a professional viticulturist and a Professor of Wine at France’s Dijon University has brought samples of his wines again to Bangkok and I have tasted them for the second time. www.domainedemontmain.fr
There were differences, as is normal, on the same wines; some showed better last time than on this tasting but this is all due to transport and so many other factors. Overall, most of the wines were drinking very well, however, can we expect them to even approximate what we tasted tonight or on the last tasting if they are transported commercially rather than hand-carried? The answer is no! Look at the years, all so fragile.
Wines tasted on 7 August at the Dubliner were the following:

1996 Les Genévrières Château de Villars Fontaine

1997 Château de Villars Fontaine Hautes Côtes de Nuits “Le Rouard”

1991 Château de Villars Fontaine Hautes Côtes de Nuits “Le Rouard”

1991 Hautes Cotes de Nuits, Les Genévrières

2003 Château de Villars Fontaine, Le Rouard

2005 Château de Villars Fontaine Grand Tradition, Les Jiromees

Tags:, ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

Wine Tasting at Pacific City Club, Frankland Estate, Western Australia – Bangkok

Friday, August 8th, 2008

Pacific City Club
28th Floor, Two Pacific Place
142 Sukhumvit Rd.
Bangkok 10110
Tel. 02 653 2450-63

A tasting of organic wines from Frankland Estate, Western Australia was held on the 28th floor of Pacific Place at the elegantly decorated, Pacific Club, a private club overlooking the city, on Wednesday, 6 August 2008. The event was hosted by FIN Wine, www.take-fin.com a distribution company and Jan Ganser, managing director along with Benjawan Wisootsat. Also present representing the Frankland Estate was Hunter Smith www.franklandestate.co.au
General Manager Artur Kluczewski, www.pacificcityclub.com who is well-know in Bangkok, told me that they have a new French chef and I shall return shortly to sample his cuisine.
I was particularly impressed with a wine made in the Bordelais style: Olmo’s Reward, Frankland Estate, Western Australia 2001 a new-world St.Emilion, Robert Parker gave it 91 points. Two Shiraz a 2002 and 2005 were also good although all these wines are high alcohol 14.5%.
Also tasted were several Rieslings from Germany and Austria.

Tags:,
Posted in Wine | 2 Comments »

Tedeschi Winemaker Dinner, Beccofino Restaurant – Bangkok

Monday, July 28th, 2008

This evening is for and about Mr. Riccardo Tedeschi and his wonderful wines from Verona and was given at Becccofino Restaurant, Bangkok.

Riccardo Tedeschi, the winemaker from Tedeschi winery in Vernona, email:wines@tedeschiwines.com, website: www.tedeschiwines.com, who produces supple examples of Valpolicella Classico and Amarone, hosted a Wine Maker Dinner along with G Four International email:tamara@gfour.co.th at Beccofino Restaurant website: www.beccofino.co.th, email: info@beccofino.co.th, on Soi Thonglor, on Saturday night, July 26th 2008. The menu and wines follow:

Warm salad with tiger prawns, avocado and semi dried cherry tomatoes

Insalata tiepida di gamberi e avocado con pomodorini Pachino semi secchi

Bianco di Custoza 2007

**************

Herb crusted fillet of Japanese tuna with zucchini, fresh tomato, onion and basil

Filetto di tonno in crosta di erbe con zucchine, cipolla e pomodoro fresco al basilico

Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006

**************

Buckwheat tagliolini with porcini mushrooms and shaved Parmesan cheese

Tagliolini biologici al farro con funghi porcini e scaglie di Parmigiano

Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Capitel San Rocco 2005

La Fabriseria Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006

**************

Braised wagyu beef in red wine served with steamed seasonal vegetables

Stufato di manzo Austaliano servito con verdure di stagione al vapore

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2004

Amarone della Valpolicella Capitel Monte Olmi 2004

**************

Chocolate tower with mascarpone and coffee mousse, caramelized dry fruit

Torretta di cioccolato con crema al mascarpone

e caffè, frutta secca caramellata

Grappa di Amarone

**************

Lavazza Coffee or tea

Chocolate truffles

Caffè Lavazza o tè e cioccolatini

Baht 2,500 ++ per person

LIFETIME – January 2001
“… During a September visit, I was impressed with the outstanding quality from
producers focused on every aspect of winemaking…Tedeschi is another family-owned
winery with single-vineyard and traditional Valpolicella and Amarone. One of the
daughters completed a study that showed the benefits of the semi-dried grapes used in
making Amarone for lowering cholesterol”

WINE MAGAZINE – ENJOYING MEDITERRANEAN REDS – May,2003
VALPOLICELLA DEI NICALO 1999 TEDESCHI

Made by the young winemaker Riccardo Tedeschi, with the help of father Renzo,…This has a classic mature Valpolicella nose. Slightly farmyardy in style, it manages to be complex and intriguing without ever being heavy.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Bangkok, Wine | Comments Closed

Tasting of Tenuta Setteponti Wines from Tuscany at Giusto Restaurant – Bangkok

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

At Giusto Restaurant’s ultra-modern upper bar, an intimate tasting of Tenuta Setteponti wines from Tuscany was held by G Four Co Ltd. and hosted by Luca and Tamara.

Morellino 2006 DOC 83 Wine Spectator

Morellino 2006 DOC 83 Wine Spectator,
Grapes: Sangiovese with a small percentage of Alicante
Aging: 15 days for maceration and fermentation, 8 months in stainless steel tank, 2 months in bottle.
A typical Scansano area wine, fruity with more freshness than concentration. Pleasant to drink.

Poggio al Lupo 2004 IGT 92 Wine Spectator

Poggio al Lupo 2004 IGT 92 Wine Spectator
Grapes: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Alicante, 7% Petit Verot
Aging: 25 days for the Cabernet and Petit Verot, 20 days for Alicante maturation in French barriques, additional 6 months in bottle
Deep purple color with jammy black berry and cassis overtones with a long penetrating finish

Crognolo 2004 IGT 91 Wine Spectator

Crognolo 2004 IGT 91 Wine Spectator
Grapes: Sangiovese with a touch of Merlot
Aging: 20 days for maceration and fe3rmentation, maturation in Frencch barriques, additional 6 months in bottle
Soft tannins and more elegance than the others wines, with a good finish and a great deal of freshness and fruit

Oreno 2004 ICT 95 Wine Spectator

Oreno 2004 ICT 95 Wine Spectator
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese
Aging: 25 days for maceration and fermentation, maturation in French barriques, additional 12 months in bottle
Full bodied with masses of fruit and super velvety tannins
It might be added, that the winemaker missed his flight from Italy and did not arrive until the tasting was over.

I personally liked the Morellino for its freshness and its qualities of being pleasant and easy to drink and the Poggio al Lupo for its strength and forwardness along with the Crognolo, which was soft and elegant.
Note: All of the four wines were not given sufficient time to recover from the overseas shipment due to the winemakers schedule and should be tasted again after they rest and results might vary.

Giusto is among Bangkok’s most notable, top-flight Italian restaurants, in company with the following elite group, which are listed in alphabetical order:

Beccofino 02-392-1881, www.beccofino.co.th

Belguardo 02-610-9380, www.belguardo.com

Biscotti 02-255-5443, www.fourseasons.com

Enoteca Italiana, 02-258-4386,
email: info@enotecaitalianabangkok.com

Gianni 02-252-1619, no website

Giusto 02-258-4321, www.giustobangkok.com

La Scala 02-344-8899, www.sukothai.com

Mezzaluna 02624-9555, www.thedomebangkok.com

Zanotti 02-636-0002, www.zanotti-ristorante.com

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

Wine Not Ltd., Wine Tasting at Bar Su, Sheraton Grand Hotel – Bangkok

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Bar Su

I was invited to attend a tasting event by Cindy Marsal, Sales Executive of Wine Not Limited, it was held at BarSu Thursday Evening 26 June 2008, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel

Tasting Notes:

Sauvignon Blanc 2007 False Bay/Robertson, Coastal Region – South Africa
Fresh, young and overall very pleasant.
cucumber gazpacho
scallops carpaccio

Chenin Sec 2007 Chateau de la Roulerie/ AOC Anjou, Vallée de la Loire – France
I am not a fan of Chenin Blanc and never have been since I first tasted it when it was popular in California winemaking. This new style of Chenin “Sec” is a big improvement and the dry style is “à la mode” today.
tuna & salmon sashimi

Chardonnay 2007 False Bay/Robertson, Coastal Region – South Africa
A typical Chardonnay I found it a bit flat and lacking acidity.
seaweed mussel and shrimp tempura

Carmenere 2006 Yellow Biplano/Central Valley – Chile
This wine did not hold a great deal of interest for me. I am not familiar with this grape variety
although I was told by Wine Not’s Sales Executive, Ms Cindy Marsal, that it originally came from the Gironde in Bordeaux although now exclusively used in Chile due to the hot days and cold nights.
braised veal with wasabi mash

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo 2006 Lexarel Ops/Do Penedes – Spain
An interesting wine that can stand up well to food.
green pepper crusted venison loin

Shiraz 2006 False Bay /Paarl, Coastal Region – South Africa
I found it quite tannic at this time, another year and it should lose some of the tannin and be more approachable.
lamb kebab with tomato chutney
angus beef and eggplant

Wine Tasting Menu and Notes

Braised Veal with Wasabi Mash

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

Wine Tasting at Four Seasons Hotel – Bangkok

Friday, June 20th, 2008

The Crowded Pimarnman Room, Four Seasons Hotel BangkokOn Thursday evening The California Wine Company and World Class Wines held a tasting of California, Chilean, Argentian, and Australian wines in the lovely Pimarnman Room on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel.

I found the Alicanto Sauvignon Blanc 2007 from Chile 460 THB, San Jose de Apalta Chardonnay 2007 460 THB, Terralis Chardonnay – Torrontes 2007 445 THB, and Terralis Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 460 THB (all prices retail) both from Argentina were very good considering their price. An Esser Zinfandel from

California was interesting but not exactly the style I prefer; Zinfandel comes in all weights from very light to almost Port-like and everything in between. They presented a couple of Pinot Noirs from California one from Camus – Belle Glos “Clask & Telephone” Pinot Noir 2006 from Camus and another Pinot Noir 2006 from Sabastiani, both of them were a little bit heavy for my taste, but bound to do well in the Thai marketplace where body is essential for good sales. They had a good turnout as the room was packed, the hors d’ouvres prepared by the hotel were as usual, very good and it was a fine showing of a wide range of wines at various price points, some were excellent value for money.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

Bordeaux 2007: White Wines Prevail

Friday, June 6th, 2008

White Bordeaux wines, especially the sweet & stickies from Sauternes and most of the whites from this vintage, are the best coming out of the gate at primeurs week in Bordeaux 2007. The more important reds, from all reports, are soft and flabby. Producers are looking to Asia to help consume a great deal of this vintage however, it seems that prices will not be reduced even in the face of a poor vintage in red Bordeaux Grand Crus. In the past, lesser-quality vintages were usually sold off at a reduced price; this might not be the case for 2007, due to abnormally high labor costs.
More details at: http://www.jancisrobinson.com

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

Gianni Gagliardo Wine Dinner, Rossini Restaurant – Bangkok

Saturday, May 31st, 2008

Rossini Restaurant
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit Hotel
250 Sukhumvit Road
Tel. (66) 02 649 8888
Email: grande.sukhumvit@luxurycollection.com
Website: www.sheratongrandesukhumvit.com
Credit Cards: All Major
Prices: Moderate-Expensive

I was invited to attend a small dinner party at Rossini Restaurant in the Sheraton Sukhumvit Grande Hotel to taste the wines of Gianni Gagliardo, a celebrated wine maker from Piedmonte. Bravissimo!

Gianni, who is a delightful man who loves to travel, first explained, how his sons are taking care of the vineyards—and it definitely remains a family business. The production is about 350,000 bottles per annum.

The dinner began with a first course of, and for lack of another term; a Sicilian seafood couscous served in a mason jar (very interesting with intense flavors). To go along with this dish, a lovely and slightly frizzante wine called Fallegro, Vino de Tavola Bianco 2007 was served, made from 100% Favorita grapes—young, fresh and delicious. This course was followed by a well-made, attractively presented and ultimately edible dish of raviolis filled with vegetables and fish, to purposely show how it would pair with the accompanying red wine, Batie Langhe Nebbiolo made from a blend of mostly Nebbiolo with a small percentage of Barbera before it was matured in barrels, 2005. The pairing worked extremely well!

The following three Barolo wines in various styles and nuances accompanied what appeared to be a braised beef cheek, (an advance menu was sent to me by the distributor, however Mr. Gagliardo changed the menu at the bar with the chef just before the dinner, and what turned up at the table was not even vaguely similar to the original menu I received). This was all for the better, as the chef and the wine maker worked out the menu to best fit with the wines presented, to the advantage of both sides.

The Barolo’s presented were:
Barole Preve: a combination of Barolos with contrasting characteristics; one an elegant wine with great finesse and the other with structure and body 2001.

Barolo Serre: a wine with greater concentration and a fuller body 2004.
Barolo Reserva: aged for ten years and now beginning to show its full potential 1997 (one of the best years in Piedmonte).

The finale was a dessert served in a glass containing granita on the bottom and spooned on top was a layer of chocolate mousse. A low alcohol 4.5% lightly sparkling, Moscato was served along with this dessert and the flavor of this juice, loosely called wine, was so intense that I though I was eating freshly picked Moscato grapes straight from the vine!

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

Wine: Good News and Bad News

Monday, May 19th, 2008

Hong Kong has done away with their 40% import duties at the end of February, Thailand should take a hint from this, and reduce their outlandish 400% tax on imported wine, they would sell a much greater quantity of wine and in time, do away with gray market and black market wine trade.

The wine markets have soared as Asian and Russian collectors are hoarding vintage wines. The most disturbing news is that hedge funds, investment banks and others are buying wines to hold and sell at a later date at a higher profit.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

Robert Mondavi Dies at 94

Sunday, May 18th, 2008

I remember well when I first met Robert Mondavi, it was at my French restaurant in Hollywood called Au Petit Café. He was visiting all the best restaurants in Los Angeles to promote his own wine from his newly formed Robert Mondavi Winery, after an unhappy break-up from the family business.

Obit MondaviIt was difficult to tell him that I could not put his wine on my list, due to it being a French restaurant, which had an exclusively French wine list with all the best Grand Cru and other top French vintages; and that is what my customers expected. I did however, offer to change my cooking wine and give him that business; you must remember at this point California wine was not recognized as fine wine—and in the future he changed all of this. He did not accept my offer and left very disappointed.

Above: AP Photo (originally provided by Departures Magazine)

I sold his wine years later, including Opus One in my wine bar called Bouchon, in Brentwood CA, where we offered 100 wines by the glass and had many selections of California and other New World wines. I was invited to attended some wine functions at the winery and went on several occasions.

When Robert Mondavi and Baron Phillippe de Rothschild formed a limited partnership to bring out Opus One in 1979, Miklos Dora, then head of world-wide promotion for Mouton Rothschild and I discussed how it might go over with such a large price tag for a wine grown in California. The reality is, It became a big success due in no small part to Robert Mondavi’s unfailing persistence.

He was indeed, a major influence in the California wine industry and my sympathetic thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Wine | Comments Closed

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »