The Delicato Family Vineyards were featured at a wine
dinner held at the Sheraton Pattaya. The facilitator was the very affable
American Ryan Stewart, who took pride in describing just how the family
vineyards evolved from the vision (and nous) of founder Gaspari Delicato, a
Sicilian immigrant to California.
The ever-attentive waiter
presents the exceptional Zinfandel.
It was Delicato senior who read the fine print on the
Prohibition legislature that exempted home winemakers and religious
organizations, so he supplied them with his grapes, transporting them all
over the country.
When Prohibition was repealed, the Delicato family turned to wine making
themselves and in 1935 the first vintage was bottled. Now this is the third
generation of the Delicato family, and as anyone who has studied the recent
history of Sicily will know, “family” is important!
However, everyone also knows that in a wine dinner, this is an opportunity
for the chefs to show their talents and how they can match wine and food.
And it also an opportunity for the property to show their mettle as well.
Sheraton Pattaya has always shone in that regard, and the service staff
dressed in the ‘simple black dress’ for the ladies and the men in
waistcoats, were quietly attentive at all times. The napery exudes ‘quality’
and the vines above the tables just set the tone for a great evening.
The first course was blue
crab, truffle mashed potatoes over dry ice and an amazing sea urchin sauce.
Executive chef Spencer Kells (all 6’6" of him) has always
impressed me with his adventurous approach to his cooking, and the guests
were not disappointed. The final dish was award-winning in its concept and
delivery.
The reception was held in the Latitude bar, giving the guests the
opportunity to witness sunset, though it was rather overcast that day.
Canapés were consumed with a French Dumont Sparkling Brut NV, and served
nicely chilled!
After half an hour of the sparkler, guests adjourned upstairs to the Papaya
restaurant and to set the tone for the evening, the Amuse Bouche consisted
of scallop and avocado with a tomato ceviche sauce. A wonderful wake-up for
the palate!
This was followed by the first of the four courses which was a blue crab,
truffle mashed potatoes over dry ice and an amazing sea urchin sauce.
Spencer Kells indicated that using sea urchin dated back to his ‘classical’
days. I had never experienced this before, and it was a great start for the
more formal part of the dining.
This was taken with the Delicato Chardonnay 2011, which came from the
Family’s Monterey vineyards. This was a pleasant white with a well-defined
nose, easy on the palate, but with a very short finish. An inexpensive wine,
it is good for an accompaniment to food, rather than a stand-alone wine for
quaffing.
The third course was noisette
of lamb with a cassoulet of summer beans and rosemary.
The second course consisted of braised veal cheek and
lobster tail, cauliflower puree, and lobster sauce. I have to say that I was
a little disappointed with this dish which was under-seasoned for my taste.
It was served with a Delicato Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, again pleasant,
without having the ‘wow’ factor of the following wine which was the Gnarly
Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2010. This was certainly the wine of the night, and
one where you could happily sit on your verandah and enjoy a tipple, just
for the sheer pleasure. This was taken with the third course, noisette of
lamb, with a cassoulet of summer beans and rosemary. Again this was a dish
with subtle flavors, but it melded well with the exceptional Zinfandel.
The
final dish was the award-winner. A coffee panna cotta, mango yolk, white
chocolate ice cream. Fashioned to look like an emu egg, you spooned a “yolk”
from it. Simply sensational!
The wine with this was not a Delicato, but a Quady Electra 2010, a
semi-sweet wine with ‘sparkles’ released on the tongue as you savored the
long finish.
It was another successful wine dinner at the Sheraton and new GM Tomo
Kuriyama can now be confident that his team has the depth of talent required
to host such events. More please, Tomo!
