Dr. Iain Corness
One of the biggest movers in the Australian wine field is
the Stonefish label, and the managing director, Aussie Peter Papanikitas, is
an enthusiastic promoter of the brand. Now, with many of his wines being
gold medal winners both in Thailand and overseas, Peter Papanikitas has
every reason for the enthusiasm.
Peter
Papanikitas, managing director of the Stonefish Australian wine label
enthusiastically promotes the brand.
To introduce Stonefish to Pattaya wine outlets, a wine
dinner was held at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort in the Acqua
Italian restaurant, following a cocktail event on the 19th
floor of the resort. At the cocktails, many of the F&B professionals in
Pattaya could be seen in huddles, and trying to look inconspicuous. Amongst
these were the Royal Cliff Beach Resort and the Marriott.
The most favored wine at the cocktail party was the
Stonefish Merlot, with many of the guests taking their Merlot glasses with
them as they descended to the ground floor and the Acqua restaurant.
(L to R)
Adrian Brown, GM Centara Grand; Peter Papanikitas, MD Stonefish wines; Dr
Iain Corness; Mark Cawley, EAM F&B, and Executive Chef Andrew Brown
introduce the Stonefish Australian wine label.
A few words on the Acqua, if you have not yet tried this
restaurant. Glass walls, with a wine cellar sandwiched between, very high
ceilings and well trained attentive staff. This is an up-market venue and is
most impressive. We will do a full review in the future.
Mark
Cawley, EAM F&B Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya welcomes the
distinguished guests.
The Stonefish Wine Dinner began with a timbale of dill
marinated salmon topped with sour cream and caviar and taken with the
Stonefish Chardonnay 2008. This is a slightly oaked wine from Western
Australia and was a wonderfully refreshing start to what was to turn out to
be a very popular dinner.
This was followed by a creamy risotto with fresh and very
succulent tiger prawns enjoyed immensely while the serving staff continued
to refill the chardonnay glasses. We could see it was going to be a heavy
night with many more wines to come!
The next course was one we do not see too often, being a
warm salad of pigeon breast with a game hazelnut Hollandaise, accompanied by
the first of the reds, a Stonefish Shiraz 2007. This was another Western
Australian wine and perhaps a little young at present, would be perfect for
laying down in your cellar (if you can resist opening and drinking right
now)!
It was time for a grappa sorbet, further discussion on
the forthcoming wines and a lamb loin wrapped in aged Parma ham accompanied
by the Stonefish Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, another of Peter Papanikitas’
medal winners. This wine, for me, had no chance of being consigned to the
cellar - it demands drinking now! It was that good.
Again there was a hiatus to prepare the guests for
dessert and the Stonefish Flying Finix 2006, a wine that had the diners in
the Acqua restaurant in raptures. A botrytis Semillon from the Riverina
district in New South Wales Australia. A smooth and mellow wine with just
enough sweetness to keep you coming back again and again. The wine also has
a connection with Pattaya, with the motif on the bottle being designed by
local artist Chitra Chandrasiri. This wine just topped the evening and is
one that could be cellared for many years, just getting better (if that is
possible) with every passing year. I do know that my bottle of Flying Finix
has no chance of languishing in my cellar! I don’t even need an ‘excuse’ to
open it. By the time you have read this article, it will be an empty bottle.
Som
Corness (left) and Rungratree Thongsai (right) share a laugh before the
dinner while Tony Malhotra (center) only worries about his wine.
Australian to the bone.
Stonefish Chardonnay 2008.
Guests
enjoy a superb evening in the Acqua Italian
restaurant at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort.
