(L to R) Robert Schnabel, Royal Cliff Grand
Hotel Resident Manager, Dr. Iain Corness, Maria Gequillana, PR & Marketing
Communications Manager of the Royal Cliff Hotel Group, Pratheep S. Malhotra,
Managing Director of Pattaya Mail and Walter Thenisch, Executive Chef of
Royal Cliff Hotel Group.
Dr. Iain Corness
The Royal Cliff deVine Wine Club June 27 dinner featured Chilean wines from
the Santa Carolina vineyards, a winemaker which most members at the dinner
were not familiar with.
However, in its native Chile, this wine label is well known, founded in 1875
by Don Luis Pereyra Cotapos and named after his wife Carolina. The wines
became recognized internationally since 1889 with a gold medal in Paris, and
these days are exported to over 80 countries.
The dinner began with smoked
Patagonian cod loin in a sweet and sour fruit salsa.
Representing Santa Carolina was a suave Frenchman Hugo
Acket, the Sales Manager of Vanichwathana, the importers of the Santa
Carolina brand wines.
Matching the food and the wines was, as always, the province of Executive
Chef Walter Thenisch, and Hugo Acket also said how difficult this is, as the
palates of so many people can be very different. Those who indulge in fiery
chillis have a very different concept of flavor, for example.
The dinner was called, “Santa Carolina: Worldwide Recognition of Excellence”
and began with smoked Patagonian cod loin in a sweet and sour fruit salsa. I
found the smoked cod very pleasant, and it was accompanied by a Vistana,
Sauvignon Blanc (65 percent) - Semillon (35 percent) D.O. Valle Central
2013. This was a light wine, with a surprisingly long finish, especially for
a wine as young as this.
Representing Santa Carolina
was a suave Frenchman Hugo Acket, the Sales Manager of Vanichwathana, the
importers of the Santa Carolina brand wines.
The second course (of five) was one that met universal
acclaim - pan-seared Pacific scallops on sautéed vegetable julienne with
saffron cream sauce. The wine here was another white, a Chardonnay D.O.
Valle del Rapel, 2011. This wine was full-bodied (the winemaker having spent
some time in Australia) and also a very popular choice.
The main course was a slow roasted premium lamb rack with vegetables taken
with the Carmenere, Reserva de Familia D.O. Valle del Rapel, 2010. For me,
this was the wine of the night. Full bodied, strong tannin, great finish and
I would guess at around 1,500 baht in the wine shops.
Antonello Passa, General
Manager of Royal Cliff Hotel Group gives a warm welcoming speech to the
guests who attended the wine dinner.
And still the courses kept coming, the next being a
spiced fruit bread with baked goat cheese and Tête de Moine (a type of
cheese manufactured in Switzerland. It was invented and initially produced
more than eight centuries ago by the monks of the abbey). This interesting
course was taken with a Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon D.O. Valle del
Colchagua, 2011, fairly traditional Cab Sav.
The finale was a chocolate fudge with raspberry and almond crumble. A
Suvignon Blanc ‘Late Harvest” D.O. Valle del Rapel, 2009 was the last wine,
slightly sweet and demi-sec to my palate.
It was another interesting wine dinner, introducing another vineyard for the
members. You can contact the wine club through [email protected]
The Royal Cliff deVine Wine
Club dinner featured Chilean wines from the Santa Carolina vineyards.
Hugo Acket (left), Sales
Manager of Vanichwathana, and Suchart Suksawad (right), Beverage Manager of
the Royal Cliff Hotels Group.
(L to R) Saman Jisakul, John
Van Der Marel, Louisa Vander Marel, Frans Kouwenberg, Gerard Lemmers, Rudolf
De Vos and Amporn Sriboonrueng sit down for a culinary and wine experience.
