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Published on October 14, 2007

Every chef or winemaker, no matter how famous they may be, will give credit first to the raw materials and only then to individual talent.

Last week the Landmark Hotel jumped into the wine dinner fray led by its general manager Frank Clovyn, who wasn't about to launch a series of culinary extravaganzas with anything less than the best ingredients.

"Our Rib Room & Bar got off to a great start last year with an outstanding menu, so we wanted to be certain our wine dinners offered something particularly appealing in both quality and price," he said at last week's inaugural event.

Up against some tough competition from several of the city's premier hotels, the Landmark crew got off to a very respectable start with wines from Ruffino, one of Italy's most respected Tuscany stalwarts, and beef from Rangers Valley, an Aussie producer that justifiably has American growers worried. Executive chef Phillipe Gaurdal crafted a menu with something of quality for everyone at the sold-out evening.

The Ruffino brand was started in 1870 by the Ruffino brothers who sold the property to their friends, the Folonaris, in 1913. With a fourth generation now joining the family tradition, the Folonaris have gradually increased the company holdings to 2,400 hectares of some of Tuscany's best vineyards. In 1984, they added what may be considered the crown jewel of their holdings, the respected Greppone Mazzi estate in Brunello.

Through the years, Folonari became the official supplier to several European royal courts, provided anti-stress "medicine" to the US during the 1930s prohibition period, and led a global marketing success, selling low-priced wine in the once-famous straw-wrapped bottles known as fiascos.

In 1975, Ruffino ceased use of the fiasco as part of a programme to upgrade the image and quality of Chianti wines.

Quality was the watchword for the Rib Room & Bar dinner as Ruffino's Asian sales director Alan Wong poured the opening wine, a crisp '05 pinot grigio, nicely complementing Gaurdal's giant crab claw and cucumber terrine. A perfectly seared strip of roasted Challan duck breast with foie gras brioche was well-matched with a jammy, soft-tannin '03 Ruffino Reserva Ducale Chianti Classico.

The prize of the evening was a succulent rib eye paired with Ruffino's complex multi-layered '01 Modus, a sangiovese, cabernet, merlot blend. This is a gem of a wine - only 290 cases made - beautifully matched with a rich Rangers Valley steak from beef grain-fed for a minimum of 300 days for maximum flavour and tenderness. The Modus wine and the Rangers Valley rib eye were each worth the Bt2,900 price of dinner, but together they were an absolute steal.

Landmark's next wine dinner will be on October 30 and will feature some outstanding Aussie wines. Call (02) 254 0404 for reservations. Ruffino wines are distributed by Bangkok Beer & Beverages at (02) 661 9446. For information on Rangers Valley beef, call (02) 634 0417.