Silverlake lifts the veil on wine-making for star-studded tour

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The Silverlake Vineyard threw open its doors for an in-depth tour and concert evening attended by celebrities and wine lovers from around the region.

Silverlake spokesman Dennis Dila welcomed Pattaya Mail on TV’s Sue Kukarja and about 100 guests to the March 22 event in the shadow of Big Buddha Hill, about 20 kilometers outside Pattaya, March 22.

Reporters and starlets alike got their hands dirty collecting fresh grapes from the vineyard as Silverlake executives explained their storage, filtering and de-stemming to prepare them for processing into wine.

Silverlake Pattaya vineyard has been beautifully landscaped.Silverlake Pattaya vineyard has been beautifully landscaped.

The guests watched as winemakers cleaned the fruit with a machine and placed them in a steel tank for grinding and the addition of yeast. The young wine was poured into bottles to ferment.

Staffers explained that white wine is easier to produce than red because it can be consumed immediately after production while red wine has to age at least 8-14 months in a tank at room temperature.

(L to R) Dennis Dila (PR) from Silverlake Vineyard; John Nuvo, leading rock artist from Thailand; Sue Kukarja, PMTV Communication Director; and Surachai Tangjaitrong, owner of Silverlake Vineyard.(L to R) Dennis Dila (PR) from Silverlake Vineyard; John Nuvo, leading rock artist from Thailand; Sue Kukarja, PMTV Communication Director; and Surachai Tangjaitrong, owner of Silverlake Vineyard.

Following the tour, the party began with food, wine and a concert from 90s Thai pop star John Nuvo, who went through his library of hits including “Pen Yang Ngee Tang Tae Kerd” (I was born to love you), “Sud Sud Pai Loi” (Make it to the extreme) and more.

Silverlake produces its own wine, jam and many other products from products grown on site.

Vineyard ready to be harvested for wine production.Vineyard ready to be harvested for wine production.

The owner of this vineyard is the famed actress Suphansa Nuangphirom, who was inspired to open a vineyard on her husband’s property in Najomtien after visiting vineyards in the United States about six years ago. She brought in an American vineyard owner to evaluate and inspect the environment. He confirmed the land was perfect for a vineyard, noting it was an advantage to be so close to Pattaya and its tourist base.

Fermentation tanks are kept at room temperature.Fermentation tanks are kept at room temperature.

The couple had the property beautifully landscaped and they are able to accommodate tourists without charging admission fees. Opposite the vineyard is a shop where customers can just sit, relax and enjoy the peacefulness Silverlake offers while dining on freshly prepared dishes.

Tourists can even purchase fresh grapes that have been naturally processed into grape juices as well as other products made from the vineyard’s quality grapes, including jams and raisins.