A gracious Ripasso from Pra, Veneto

Tags

graziano pra, italian wine, ripasso, soave, valpolicella, veneto

If you drive from Verona to Lake Garda you shall pass the Valpolicella Classico zone. Likewise, if you go east to Venice, you will pass the venerable Soave Classico area. Smacked in the middle between these two areas is the lesser established Valpolicella DOC; in 2001 Graziano founded his red wine adventure here in Morandina.

Graziano describes his philosophy “…the production of food is a gastronomic act. To be a source of food pleasure, the food must be good, but also pure and correct: it must be the result of sustainable agriculture that respects the environment and workers’ dignity. When we buy food, we choose also an agricultural model. This is a fundamental issue that determines the future of the planet: its survival or its destruction.”

“A long search for the perfect vineyard brought Graziano to the higher marl slopes of the Valle di Mezzane. Sitting on white soils deriving from chalky rock, ancient clay and marine sand, La Morandina is located on 500 mt altitude on rubble and schist that envelop the vine from the trunks to the roots as they burrow down in their search for water. The grape yield is obviously very low giving more body to the wines. This was Graziano’s aim when he decided to adopt organic agriculture that doesn’t interfere with the natural balances that have been established over time. The high levels of chalk and surface marl are the main elements needed to obtain wines that are very fine and elegant with good freshness, medium body and low ph. making them perfect for long aging and easy drinking.”

The local grape varieties contribute unique characteristics to the final wine: Corvina gives spiciness and cherry aromas, Corvinone gives glycerine and vibrant freshness, Rondinella adds delicate fruit and light floral aromas whilst Oseleta provides colour and robust tannins. The grapes are dried in a fruttaio (drying room) from 20-30 days then vinified. Maturation in 20hl casks for 18 months.

This vintage can be described “Graphite minerality, and some earthy notes plus a hint of Christmas in this, with orange peel tang, cloves and lovely semi-dried figs and prunes. A big rich wine with great length, but elegant nonetheless.“

Gift Certificates, Bangkok June 2019

Tags

Bangkok, bar, certificates, Food, home delivery, Restaurant, voucher

Below you will find the list of names we work with. They will be happy to receive your visit. Names Listed in alphabetical order, thai baht is the value of each value.

• 100 Mahaseth @ thb 3,400 (Isaan Nose to tail; literally eat your heart out kind of place by talents Chalee Kader & Randy); Bangrak area; read here
• The Accidental Butcher @ thb 2,000 (a favorite for premium meat and sausages; mainly from Australia but some local as well); Sukhumvit area, read here
• Baan @ thb 2,000 (delicious home cooked recipes by Chef Ton of Le Du; manned by his brother Tam); CBD, read here
• Baan Rabiang Naam @ thb 2,500 (Frederic is the host at this super riverside restaurant which is also known as River Tree House; yes its out of town, but worth to take friends out); Nonthaburi area, read here
• Broken Eggs @ thb 2,000 (Jacobo started out as a private dining chef in Bangkok, before opening this Spanish Tapas bar near Ekamai Soi 12); if you live nearby, do visit; Sukhumvit area; read here
• Cactus @ thb 2,000 (Yenakat super slick and relaxed hide away bar on top of Cagette); Sathorn area, read here
• Empty Plates @ thb 4,000 for 2 persons (private dining by Steven John, with rotating menu, carefully sourced products; writes one of the nicest monthly newsletters); Ladprao area, read here
• Tables, Grand Hyatt @ thb 2,900 (casual fine dining set above the Hyatt’s lobby; managed by very knowledgeable French cheese expert Sylvain), CBD, read here
• Haoma @ thb 6,400 for 2 persons (visit DK and his team, and let them do the explaining of Bangkok’s first urban farm restaurant); Sukhumvit area, read here
• Harvest / Woodshed @ thb 2,500 (Who doesn’t like nice ambiance and Jazz music? This area in Sukhumvit Soi 31 shall see more F&B soon); Sukhumvit area, read here
• Il Fumo @ thb 3,500 (innovative menu from Portugal; team working hard, day and night to make the produce from Iberia better known); Sathorn area, read here
• La Dotta @ thb 1,500 (same group as Via Maris, Il Fumo and Vesper, La Dotta focusses on fresh pasta); Sukhumvit area; read
• Char at Indigo @ thb 2,500 (great views, and specialized menu by Nik who is quick to come up with a creation for most requests); CBD; read here
• Kika @ thb 3,000 (Sathorn’s Latin bar and eatery; lots of fun, food, music around Roy!); Sathorn area, read here
• Le Boeuf @ thb 2,500 (there are days, where simplicity matters; no fuss, just a taste of the old world); CBD and Thonglor; read here 
• Pizzaria Mazzie @ thb 2,000 (Brooklyn pizza by Jon & Celina; very homey feel!); Sukhumvit area, read here
• El Mercado @ thb 2,000 (Bangkok’s food market; go eat at the restaurant or use the voucher for home shopping in the grocery store); Rama 4/Sukhumvit area and Suanplu; read here
• No Idea Pub @ thb 2,500 (surely started out as a pub; but Dave’s love for vino is unstoppable; prices hard to beat on top); Sukhumvit area; read here
• Oskar @ thb 3,000 (Soi 11 all rounder; fun house, tasty food, good drinks around the clock); Sukhumvit area; read here
• Paleo Robbie @ thb 2,000 (home delivery; ingredients and pre-cooked, healthy choices abound); anywhere read here
• Peppina Commons @ thb 2,000 (when hanging out at Commons, this is always a good choice especially with kids); Sukhumvit area, read here
• Pesca @ thb 3,000 (succulent seafood, but also people’s choice grilled meats); Sukhumvit area, read here
• Punjab Grill @ thb 2,500 (enjoy several dishes here, but actually their modern take and degustation menu has been very pleasing so far); Sukhumvit area, read here
• Rose Natural Wine Bar @ thb 2,500 (seek a quiet moment in one of Bangkok’s first natural wine bars? during day time they specialize in coffee); Sukhumvit area, read here
• Smoking Pug @ thb 3,500 (the pug! super hang out for smoky ribs and more, great beers, and of course wine); CBD, read here
• Taan @ thb 3,000 (hyper local Thai with farmer’s talk dinners; well worth it); Siam / MBK area, read here
• Thaan @ thb 2,500 (could be in Paris; tiny, tucked away, romantic and dark, go find out), Sukhumvit area, read here

Two Paddocks, striking gold in former goldmine

Tags

Central Otago, new zealand, Pinot Noir, sam neill, Two Paddocks

When we began searching for a Central Otago Pinot Noir six years ago, the label of Two Paddocks immediately struck us, but it was the very restrained and classical style that was love at first sight. Even Francophiles might be tempted to try what Lisa Perotti-Brown, Master of Wine, calls “a very natural, almost leafy style of Pinot Noir”.

The fact that Hollywood actor Sam Neill is behind one of the most recognized names from Central Otago helps of course, but it is their philosophy in the vineyard which resonates most. Sam says his viticulturist Mike Wing is the most important person in the estate and the two have been busy searching for new plots, with the last purchase in Bannockburn, at the end of Felton Road, an area in stature similar to Vosne Romanee in the Cote de Nuits.  This vineyard now produces fruit for the Estate blend, and also the limited reserve named “Fusilier”, referring to Sam’s grandfather, who was a Wine Merchant and Soldier.

Sam explains the estate is “committed to an organic and holistic farming model that we believe produces the very best expression of our sites and intrinsically cares for our soils, our animals and our people.” Vintage to vintage they continue to move ahead of the pack. Today we propose the winery’s main wine, please enjoy and let us know!

Two Paddocks Pinot Noir Estate 2016, Central Otago

“A blend of the Bannockburn, Earnscleugh and Gibbston vineyards. This leads with ripe sweet cherry-berry fruit aromas ahead of a spicy and meaty background. Plenty of youthful appeal. The palate is succulent and packed with vibrant flesh, attractive red cherry fruit and plenty of lithe, juicy tannins.” James Suckling 92 points

Coche Dury, perhaps the finest white wine in the world

Tags

burgundy, Chardonnay, coche dury, meursault, off track france, raphael coche, reduction

There is a place, somewhere off the beaten path, which we are unable to divulge. This restaurant is owned by a chef and avid wine collector, who for many years traveled to Burgundy and Champagne to find vinous jewels. This is where I first came across a Coche Dury, and realized there is no other wine like it, and also conclude no other restaurant will offer at this price.

It is positive that long-time buyers are offered reasonable ex-cellar prices, which we newbies are not. Despite the difference, we remain upbeat for this brightly shining village Meursault, as the stellar 2015 is already trading at a higher prices in Hong Kong and New York.

Below is a good description of this fine Burgundy producer by Steen Öhman, the editor, writer and owner of Winehog.org, a blog which was launched in 2011 and is a site focused solely on the wines of Burgundy. Please allow me to quote him:

What is so special about Coche-Dury

Coche-Dury has almost legendary status among wine connoisseurs, and rightly so. His wines are something special, and he almost have the same status as Henri Jayer, who was quite unique in Vosne Romanee.

Coche-Dury – bouquet and taste

Coche-Dury are very expressive wines that really jumps from the glass. It is not subtle or for that matter aristocratic wines, no they are quite flamboyant wines of almost incredibly high quality.

The first thing you notice is the assertive bouquet of gun powder and hints of popcorn – which can be very distinctive when the wines are young. They also have quite a considerable note of new oak, which together with the various nuances of the Chardonnay grape gives a complex and challenging nose.

On the palate the wines has very fine textures and freshness that comes from both the soil and the fine acidity structure. The wines are never overripe, but retain their suppleness and finesse. There is a pronounced Coche style, but this does not prevent the individual vineyards terroir to shine through. They are terroir wines but have a quite distinctive style that characterizes all the wines from the domaine.

Why does Domaine J.-F. Coche-Dury make better wine?

A large part of the explanation for the high quality is most likely found in the vineyards, where a thorough work combined with very old vines in several vineyards yield some special wines. He manages to make wines that are both fresh and resilient although the concentration is quite high, something very few manufacturers are able to match.

Coche-Dury are, of course, also very skilled in the cellar, but I think it is in the vineyards he makes the big difference, which is probably one of the reasons that nobody has been able to copy his style and qualities.”

For the full article read here.

 

Paella battle on Toro’s patio, Nov 10th

Tags

broken eggs bangkok, charlie jones, jacopo astrays, paella, quince bangkok, spanish wines, toro bangkok

Come chill out and enjoy a fun evening with the two chefs, the crew from Toro and our casually easy drinking wines from Spain.

Ca N’Estruc Blanco is a refreshing and aromatic blend of Xarello with Muscat from vineyards close to Barcelona, Catalunya

Monastrell, aka Mourvedre, blended with some Syrah and briefly aged in oaked by Barahonda in Yecla, is a massive bang for the buck and shows why cool nights can lift a full-bodied Mediterranean wine.

The limited seats are B1,500++ per head. Please RSVP fast at 02-392-7790 or info@torobangkok.com

Maremma’s Montepeloso at Char, Nov 7th

Tags

char restaurant, fabio chiarelotto, indigo bangkok, maremma, montepeloso, nikolas ramirez, tuscany

These wonderful wines are rated 90-95 points by Robert Parker, James Suckling plus Vinous. Well worth to come and meet both Fabio and Nik this evening.

For bookings please call Tel 02 207 4999. Tables can be reserved at your convenient time.

The soul of Chianti according to Monty Waldin

Tags

chianti, elisabetta fagiuoli, Italy, montenidoli, sangiovese, siena, tuscany

Elisabetta Fagiuoli comes from a family that has been making wine for more than 300 years with the simple and truthful rules of attention, respect, love, harmony.

At Montenidoli she only uses the native vines of her land, following strict organic methods. Cuttings are grinded for the compost that goes back to the vineyards. Wild edible mushrooms grow in the vineyards and testify the richness of our unpolluted land The wines are artisan wines: traditional methods, harvest by hand, small yields. The estate handcrafts a very limited number of bottles per year.

Montenidoli Chianti Colli Senesi Il Garrulo 2015

“Good deep red. Pretty aromas of redcurrant, fresh herbs and flint. Bright and fresh, showing a restrained sweetness and lovely inner-mouth aromatic character to the spicy red fruit flavors framed by lively but harmonious acidity. The bright finish features lively tannins and very good length.” Ian d’Agata, Vinous on 2010 vintage

 

Chocolate and Wine Pairing, Oct 6 2018

Tags

another story, Bangkok, chocolate, emquartier, wine garage, wine pairing, xoconat

If you are a Bangkokian with a sweet tooth, we urge you to join us at Another Story, EMQuartier this Saturday starting 530pm. This will be a special workshop of luxurious indulgence in confections and nectar-like wines.

Our collaboration partner Natalie of Xoconat obsesses over details when making small-batch chocolate, one at a time. The selection for the pairing includes Matena white, Thai spiced Ganache, Lavender Vanilla dark, Pistachio Buttercrunch, Coffee Toffee, Midsummer Dream French Rose, Lod Chong Bar, which just finished in time.

Especially for this engaging session we will present you 6 fantastic tipples: Niepoort Vintage Port 2005, Albert Boxler Gewurztraminer Reserve 2012, Begali Amarone Recioto 2012, Equipo Navazos Oloroso Sherry, Hofgut Falkenstein Riesling Spatlese Euchariusberg 2017 and Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Old Vines Todd Ranch 2015.

For inquiries please email marketing@winegarage.asia

For bookings please email anotherstory@themall.co.th

Seats are thb 1,000 per person, limited to 12 seats.

Garage Wine Co., Chile

Tags

cabernet sauvignon, chile, derek mossmann, garage wine co, new chile

Like many wine lovers with an eye on Europe, we probably haven’t looked close enough to see what is happening in Chile, Argentina, and South Africa.

There has been a fair deal of innovation and a good deal of movement into the classy realm of fine wines allowing small estates to capture part of the mid-to-premium segment – albeit now more visible in London, New York and Berlin.

Chile is traditionally dominated by large corporations. Only by the millenium has MOVI (Movimiento de Viñateros Independientes), a self regulating group of boutique producers, been set up; the initial group of 12 now is just over 20 quality-minded producers who try to make authentic wines, which alters our perception quite a bit.

Derek Mossmann Knapp, the co-founder of Garage Wine Co. is one of the spokes persons and initiators whose credo includes that member wineries “have no promotional or marketing people at tastings, just owners or winemakers who are intimately involved in production”. This approach fits well to our Wine Garage style, and we have been quite successful in integrating their specialty, a Carignan field blend, into restaurants like Cocotte and Pesca in Bangkok.

More mainstream, but no less interesting, is our offer today: a Cabernet Sauvignon which veers towards the “natural” spectrum, but will please a wide range of palates.

We hope you will agree. When opening just pull the cork out through the wax capsule. Decant 20-30 minutes and serve at 16C.

Vintage: 2015 | Wine Type: Red Wine
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (93%), Cabernet Franc (7%)
Origin: Chile | Appellation: Maipo Alto
Elaboration: Fermented with native yeasts, low intervention, punch down in open top fermenters at 976 metres above the sea this vineyard an extreme example of Cabernet Sauvignon in Maipo Andes. Barrel aged over two winters in French barrels of various cooperages with two or more uses.
Conservation: Drink now through 2020
Winemakers: Derek Mossman, Pilar Miranda and Alvaro Peña 

“A solid Cabernet Sauvignon with currants, hot stone, blackberries and hints of currant bush. Full body, dense and polished tannins and a pretty, chewy finish. 93 points” James Suckling

Austrian Wine Week, Bangkok

Tags

austrian wine week, Bangkok, Blaufrankisch, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, tastes of austria, wine garage, zweigelt

We are super excited to be offering an array of Austrian varietals around some of Bangkok’s finest dining establishments from 1-5th October.

 

Franz, founder of Tastes of Austria and myself were both working in New York City around the millennium, but our paths crossed a few years later during a trade visit to Tokio. Since then I firmly believed in bringing in Austrian wines to Thailand, but had to wait until Wine Garage was founded in 2013. Franz supports the export of these fine and dynamic estates, but in some cases also helps with blending and refinement of specialty items such as the Hoch Pet Nat Kalkspitz and Kalkreich – both a must try! He will be on the floor at Oskar’s on 1/10, Quince on 3/10, Nahm on 4/10 and Fireplace Grill on 5/10. A great guy to chat and drink with

 

The cool evenings in continental Europe allow are expressive fruit flavors to be kept in balance by acids and tannins. Frankly most varietals, from any of the regions, and styles from classic to the natural or biodynamic are extremely food friendly, especially for cuisine in this part of the world. Come on this ride with us an our partners and taste some of the greatest organic wines around.

For more details please visit our event page with up to date information

https://www.facebook.com/events/259802997999786/