It could not have been a more appropriate celebration of
“Uncle Sam’s” 227th birthday than the holding of the Royal Cliff Wine
Club’s Fourth of July Winemaker’s Gala Dinner. Set in the
splendidly-decorated Grand Ballroom of the Royal Cliff Grand, “some 200
Wine Club members, guests and selected members of both local and national
press were treated to an evening of renowned Californian wines and gourmet
dishes,” noted Ranjith Chandrasiri, the resident manager of the Royal
Cliff Grand and president of the Royal Cliff Wine Club - a man who is a
self-confessed wine addict and an expert on the subject.
Robert
Fredson, no small man himself, is dwarfed by the Mount Rushmore figures
behind him.
Andrew
Wood greets the press: “Bangkok Post real.time” editor, Prapai
Kraisornkovit and John Leicester who came to “test the waters” - er,
wines, that should read.
Statue
of Liberty, Thai style: carved in ice.
Peter
snuggles up to the learned people from the Swinburne Tummasri College (l-r)
Pat Burbridge, Michael Knopp, Yanisa Musiksawat and Zena Tarasena.
The personable Robert Fredson, the fourth-generation
winemaker of the award-winning Domaine St. George, who was honoured as
“Wine Person of the Year” by the Sonoma Wineries Association for 2002,
presented five excellent wine varieties at the dinner. In his brief,
enjoyable presentations during the marvellous dinner, Robert gave the
gathering an insight into his family’s colourful history, starting with
his great-grandfather who sailed into California some 130 years ago and
ending with his son “who has just opted to join the family business,”
said Robert, with obviously not just a little satisfaction. “I did not
push him at all,” Robert assured us, with a huge grin. To become a fifth
generation winemaker must appeal to the young man.
The Royal Cliff staff had not missed anything: from the
butter dish humorously shaped into a ‘cowboy in a 10-gallon hat’, to the
exquisite ice carvings of the ‘Statue of Liberty’ stationed either side
of the stage, to the miniature US and Thai flags everywhere.
I did look askance, however, at the ‘tri-coleur’
configurations around the entrances: “Does that mean that all is forgiven
in France?” I asked my table companion. “No,” was the reply. “It
just happens that all three countries (US, France and Thailand) share the
same colours.”
But, the masterpiece was a huge mural, which dominated
the room. It was a copy of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, one of the
most famous landmarks in the U.S., carved from 1927 - 1941 into the mountain
face. The massive work features 20-metre high heads of founding fathers
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, as well as those of later Presidents
Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. One can be most grateful that the
Taleban never went to the US.
Lovers
of fine wines and good food, (l-r) Chitra Chandrasiri, Hannes Suhm, Elfi
Seitz and David Holden.
Panga
Vathanakul, managing director of the Royal Cliff, is flanked by her family
Chan, Vathanai and Vitanart (R) and Royal Cliff’s finest, GM Andrew Wood
and Ranjith Chandrasiri (L), with vintner, Robert Fredson.
Bruce
Hoppe, Managing Director, Emerson Electric, Thailand is flanked by Eddie
Turrentine - General Manager, Emerson Electric, Suzhou, China (l) and Tom
Zofkie - Manager-Thailand Operations Programs, Copeland Corp.
Graham
and Christine Hayward, Clare and Judy Clausen get ready for an evening of
fine food and wines.
Walter
Thenisch (left) and his team Choopong Payatorn, F&B manager, Niwat
Promsricha, banquet manager, Thanasak Wongsurakarn, bar manager and chef
Stefan Beutler receive accolades at the end of the evening.
The 4th of July Winemaker’s Gala Dinner offered an
array of meticulously-prepared dishes by Royal Cliff Beach Resort executive
chef Walter Thenisch and his gourmet team. True to the American Independence
Day theme, the menu featured top American produce. At the end of the
evening, I was more inclined to look on Walter and his team as
‘magicians’.
This six-course gourmet menu comprised Dungeness crab
salad with whole-grain mustard vinaigrette, on a mirror of cucumber jelly,
char grilled Nantucket Bay scallops on a warm tomato and vegetable salsa,
pan-roasted Alaskan salmon on artichoke ravioli with pesto and herb-flavoured
Napa Valley white wine sauce, and whole roasted tenderloin of US certified
Angus beef accompanied with ceps-layered Idaho potatoes and a Columbia
Valley red wine reduction.
A Camembert followed, with a red plum terrine, angula
leaves (one of my table companions went shopping around for these and
finally ate about 20) and clove-scented oil drops. The desert almost defied
description. It was ‘heavenly’, described as, “A symphony of white and
dark chocolate mousse, with mangosteen sorbet”.
The introductory reception wine was a “Pacific Crest
‘Extra Dry’ Sparkling, California” and the superb meal was greatly
enhanced by a range of four Domaine St. George vintages: Domaine St George,
Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Domaine St. George “Premiere Cuvee” Chardonnay
1999, Chalk Hill, Domaine St. George Merlot 2001, Domaine St. George
“Premiere Cuvee” Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, Dry Creek, and a Monterra
Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, Monterey.
Wine Maestro Ranjith Chandrasiri thanked everyone at the
dinner for their continuous support of the Wine Club and its events. He also
thanked co-sponsor Cannon Pacific Co., Ltd., represented by its managing
director, Ekachai Mahaguna and Robert Fredson for their contribution in
making the dinner another successful Wine Club event.
Royal Cliff Managing Director Panga Vathanakul, enjoying
the dinner with her husband Chan and very handsome sons Vathanai and
Vitanart. Along with general manager of the Royal Cliff, Andrew Wood,
presented mementos to all who had made this particular evening so memorable.
My only regret, upon leaving the scene, was that it was
over!
The Royal Cliff Wine Club will celebrate its 2nd Anniversary on the 15th
of July. Nothing less than a privileged tasting of some of the world’s
cr?me de la cr?me, Chateau Mouton Rotschild, 1er Grand Cru Classe, Baron
Philippe de Rotschild Collection-Pauillac, Escudo Rojo (Super Chilean) and
several top and exclusive labels from other parts of the world not yet
available in Thailand. The wines are co-sponsored by Ambrose Wines Co., Ltd.
and be will be presented by an elite group of Mouton winemakers and
connoisseurs led by Thierry de Tourneil from Baron Philippe de Rothschild of
France. Please be reminded that this event is exclusive to current members
only. For reservations and applications for memberships, please call 0 3825
0421, e-mail: [email protected].
