Dicey Reilly’s held the second of their wine series dinners with the guests
sampling wines from the Delicato Family Vineyards. For those who were not
conversant with this label, regional sales manager Ryan Stewart spoke of the, in
some ways unique, history of the vineyards.
Director of Operations Dylan Counsel was everywhere
making the event run to a timetable.
Three generations of the Delicato family have tended the vines since 1912,
having emigrated to America from their native Sicily. It was not the most
opportune time to start a wine business, with America in the grips of the
Prohibition, but the Delicato family found that it was not illegal to grow
grapes, harvest grapes or sell grapes. This they did very successfully, shipping
grapes all over North America (and you can guess what might have become of
them), but when Prohibition was lifted, they then kept the grapes, made wine,
and shipped wine all over the country.
The Delicato Family Vineyards use the “King Fish” brand as theirs (not to be
confused with the Australian Stonefish or Garfish labels or the Indian
Kingfisher beer) and the name reputedly came from a one hour battle the elder
Delicato had with a kingfish, so he dedicated his wines to the memory of the
King fish. We were assured by Ryan Stewart that he actually returned the fish to
the lake, though that might be one of those (Sicilian) family tales!
Regional
sales manager Ryan Stewart spoke of the history of the vineyards.
Director of Operations Dylan Counsel was everywhere making the event run to a
timetable, beginning with the bubbly reception on the raised dais outside. The
opening wine was the Opera Primat Charmat Brut and Pongsak Tiamsuttikarn,
marketing and sales director for the World Class Wines Company was on hand with
his sales manager Pichit Intramand digitally recording the event.
Wine dinners such as this allows the kitchen brigade some room to be creative,
and Aussie Chef Luis Zamora excelled himself that evening, and more on that
later.
The first course was a peppered tuna loin and scallops on a sweet corn puree and
salad of fennel and spring onion. The fennel and spring onion alerted the palate
that wine was coming, in the form of the King Fish Chardonnay, a dry medium
bodied white wine.
Chef Luis assured the guests that the hypodermics
were all new!
The second course was a foie gras on a toasted brioche with rhubarb and wild
rocket, taken with the 2009 King Fish Merlot. Another very pleasant wine and a
fun presentation by chef Luis - but more was to come!
The sorbet was presented encased in ice, with a hypodermic syringe filled with
tequila speared into the top. Guests were encouraged to administer their own
tequila. Chef Luis assured the guests that the hypodermics were all new!
The main course following the sorbet was a duck breast on French lentils with a
vanilla bean and apple relish. This time Luis attached an orange reduction to
the dish, in a plastic filler that you squeezed. The wine with this was the King
Fish Shiraz 2009, a wine did really did enjoy.
The final course was an imported cheese selection from France with a goat cheese
and others including a wonderful blue. Taken with the King Fish Cabernet
Sauvignon
2010, it was a wonderful finish to the evening.
It was another light-hearted and fun wine dinner. The combination of the wines
and the food was excellent, and Dylan Counsel’s “in depth” quiz had everyone
smiling. If that was not enough, world famous magician Howard Posener was also
in attendance, mystifying the guests with his close-up magic. The event (and it
was an “event”) also had the usual Friday night musical trio, playing great
background music for the dinner. Another astounding fact was revealed late in
the dinner, that most of the King Fish wines were retailing well under B. 1,000.
Dylan Counsel, Luis Zamora, Annie and all the staff are to be congratulated on
once more giving Dicey Reilly’s some palpable soul. Well done!
Dicey Reilly’s Pub and Eatery (beneath the Marriott’s Garden Café and close to
the Royal Garden Plaza), 218 Second Road, Pattaya. Open seven days, 12 noon
until 12 midnight. Secure parking in the Royal Garden Plaza car park (but
remember to get your parking ticket validated before leaving the pub), telephone
084 653 5005, email [email protected].
