Harvests of plenty

GranMonte Winery celebrates its 2011 awards with a dinner at a top class French restaurant paired with its prize-winning wines

GranMonte Asoke Valley Winery bagged a barrel full of international awards last year - 43 in all - for its wines, a stunning success for a Thai winery competing abroad. There's no doubt about the Lohitnavy family's commitment to improving its winemaking process and promoting Thai wines overseas. Visooth Lohitnavy and his daughter, Nikki, Thailand's first female oenologist, travelled from one competition to another during 2011, proclaiming our great vintages overseas.

Among last year's awards brought home by GranMonte was the gold medal from Wine Style Asia 2011 for GranMonte Asoke Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah 2009. The Sakuna Rose Syrah 2011 bagged a silver medal and The Orient Syrah Reserve 2009 and Heritage Syrah/Viognier 2010 both claimed bronze. Visooth, who founded the winery, also received a Southeast Asia Wine Pioneer award at the Singapore gathering in October. Then there was another pair of gold medals (again for Asoke and The Orient), four silver medals, three Seals of Approval and a Star Winery award in the AWC Vienna Wine Challenge 2011.

In addition to drawing more Thais to local wines, GranMonte's growing international recognition will also bring more visitors to its 2012 Annual Harvest Season next weekend, which last year saw teams of local and foreign wine lovers coming together for an exciting grape-picking competition in its vineyard. This year's visitors will be given the opportunity to learn how the winery produces award-winning wines. The vineyard conducts the event in both Thai and English so non-Thai speakers can also enjoy every moment. Visitors should also sample the Italian fare at the vineyard's own Italian eatery VinCotto, and ask Nikki to pair her wines with their favourite dishes.

Visooth and Nikki recently returned home and shared some of the winning wines with the local media at a wine dinner at D'Sens French restaurant at the Dusit Thani, a five-course affair that had Nikki guiding us through GranMonte's world of wines.

For the aperitif, we were served chilled 2011 Sakuna Syrah Rose, fresh, fruity and rousing the taste buds.

The first course, Celery Remoulade with Lime Comfit, Tomato Jelly and Herbs Salad, was paired with the 2011 Spring Chenin Blanc, a light, fruity and slightly sweet complement to the rather sour dish.

For the Steamed Sole Filet with Black Truffle. Nikki chose the smooth and dry 2011 Viognier, which one wine expert described as having "crisp acidity backed by tropical floral and fruit flavours".

There was much to like about the reds that followed. Between the 2009 Asoke Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah (paired with Guinea Fowl with Duck Liver) and the 2009 The Orient Reserve Syrah (partnered with braised lamb shoulder and roasted rack) which flowed from a magnum, I personally preferred the latter. The tannic wine somehow felt like it was planting a series of soft and gentle kisses on my palate.

Between swirls and sips of '09 Asoke Cabernet-Syrah and '09 Orient Reserve Syrah came a slew of approbations from the wine experts present: "international standard, "amazing varietal complexity," and "collector quality."

One wine guru said that the complexity and well-integrated components of the cabernet-syrah blend were testimony to Nikki's attention to vineyard care coupled with precision fermentation and ageing. "The Orient reserve syrah, poured from magnums, was an international paradigm for perfect balance between rich ripe fruit and oak vanillins followed by an extended silken finish," he said.

We ended the night with the 2011 Bussaba Sweet Chenin Blanc, which accompanied mixed fresh fruits from the Royal Project. It's sweet but not in an overpowering way. Guests enjoyed being refilled time and again. There are hints of mango in it!

If you wonder how GranMonte could produce wines that can accompany just about every course of a fine dinner, then you might want to have a chat with Nikki and Visooth next weekend at the vineyard.

Grapes of joy

The "Pick of the Season" GranMonte Harvest Festival 2012 takes place next weekend at GranMonte in Khao Yai. Visitors will taste new iconic wines such as the 2010 Asoke Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah and take part in fun games and a harvest competition. Prizes up for grabs include the 2009 GranMonte 'The Orient' Syrah Reserve Magnum, Chateau Angelus Magnum wine and free accommodation at The Guest House. Do not worry if you don't win, everyone receives a "Pick of the Season" gift.

Call Sanya Lohitnavy at (081) 838 4848 or e-mail sanya@granmonte.com.