The Alois Restaurant and Wine Bar was the venue for a South American Wine Dinner. With Natthachai Chaiyaprom, the energetic manager of BNK Pattaya Wine Gallery on hand, plus two representatives from the Jean Bousquet Winery from Argentina and the Chocalan Winery from Chile, the guests were exposed to some very different wines, which were new to most.
The reception wine, which was carried through to the first course for some diners, was very interesting. A Cameleon Premier Chardonnay Torrontes 2010 from the Argentines, it was obviously a very young wine; however, despite a lack of any real ‘nose’ it was very pleasant to the palate and had a good medium finish. This wine was accompanied by a poached tiger prawn on a vegetable-spaghetti salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
(L to R) Carlos Briones, sales manager for Chocolan Wines; Dr. Iain Corness; Jean Bousquet and Natthachai Chaiyaprom.
The second course was pan-fried Norwegian salmon with a seafood lasagna taken with the first of the Chocolan wines, a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc. Good nose, easy on the palate and good long finish. This wine was described by sales manager Carlos Briones as being 85 percent Sauvignon Blanc grapes and 15 percent Reisling.
After a short break and sorbet, the main course was a superbly tender grilled Australian beef tenderloin on soft polenta accompanied by the Chocolan Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2009. Again a little young, and though enjoyable, even Carlos Briones agreed that another couple of years laid down would increase the drinking enjoyment.
The next dish was a Blue Stilton cheese mousse teamed with the Jean Bousquet Premium Malbec 2009. This mousse was universally enjoyed, and the Malbec tried hard to overpower the Stilton, but it would have taken an older and more robust red to challenge that cheese mousse.
Alois Restaurant and Wine Bar was very brave in its handling of this wine dinner, as it was only the second of these which it had hosted. We look forward to the next one.
(L to R) Niruit Khoonthong, control & instrument design consultant for Foster Wheeler; Natthachai Chaiyaprom; Vichai Priyatrakulruji, owner of Alois Restaurant; and Suwit Pengsuwan, managing director of Eastern Instrumentation and construction Ltd.
