Thai wine is in its infancy but there is one winery and one young wine maker turning heads with some fantastic wines from the country.
The GranMonte Estate is uniquely located in the Asoke Valley which lies adjacent to the Khao Yai National Park and is a family owned estate.
Wine maker Nikki Lohitnavy is just 24 years old but her talents far exceed her youth.
Nikki studied oenology at Adelaide University and did her internships at iconic Australian wineries Wolf Blass and Brown Brothers. In fact she was the first Thai person to graduate from university in oenology.
The vineyard was set up in 1998 by her father, Visooth Lohitnavy and in 2001 the first wines were launched from the estate.
Mr. Lohitnavy, having left the wine making duties to his daughter, founded the Thai Wine Association (TWA) in 2004 with the aim to create awareness whilst enhancing the image of Thai wines in both the domestic and international markets.
The founding members of the TWA are Siam Winery, PB Valley, Silverlake, GranMonte, Chateau de Brumes and Alcidini and together they employ over 1200 people and have an annual production of almost a million bottles.
The TWA looks to educate people about Thai grape wines and the health benefits in moderate wine drinking.
TLNHK caught up with Nikki and her father on their recent trip to Hong Kong and travelled to Discovery Bay for a food and wine match up in local Thai restaurant Koh Tom Yums.
A ten-course Thai menu was prepared by the Thai chef there for which 6 GranMonte wines were paired with. The menu consisted of:
- Wolf Fish Satay with Peanut Sauce
- Grilled Eggplant with Minced Pork and Shrimp
- Lemongrass Grilled Prawns
- Shredded Mackerel with Green Mango and Peanut
- Mao Daeng Iberico Pork
- Grilled US Striploin with Tomato, Chili and Shallot Sauce
- Koh Tom Yums Signature Lamb Chops
- Beef Short Rib in Fish Sauce, Shallots, Spices and Tamarind
- Yellow Curry King Prawn
- Panaeng Lamb Curry
The wines that paired with the dinner were as follows:
- GranMonte “Spring” Chenin Blanc 2011
- GranMonte “Sole” Chenin Blanc Viognier 2011
- GranMonte “Sakuna Rose” Syrah 2011
- GranMonte “The Orient” Syrah 2009
- GranMonte “Asoke” Cabernet Syrah 2009
- GranMonte “The Orient” Syrah Reserve 2009
The wines themselves really are fantastic. Nikki’s training and education has brought real depth and intrigue to the wines and they most certainly do pair with Thai foods.
The Chenin Blanc has a touch of sweetness and was a fantastic paring with the Wolf Fish satay and matched the sweetness of the peanut sauce perfectly.
The Chenin Blanc Viognier is somewhat drier but this is perfect in counteracting the chilis in many of the dishes such as the eggplant and mackerel items.
The reds are just divine.
TLNHK thinks that if these reds were placed in a blind tasting, many aficionados would never guess the wines origin and may mistake them for top-end Australian wines. And they are super food-friendly.
Our pick of the matchings was the Mao Daeng Iberico Pork with “The Orient” Syrah. The pork itself was succulent and morish whilst the Syrah made a perfect accompaniment to the dish.
The best thing about these wines is that they can stand up to the complexities of flavours and tastes in Thai cooking, but also work very well as stand alone drinking wines.
Asked why Nikki decided to get into oenology, her answer was simple. “I just love wine”, she said.
And we can see how her passion is reflected in the quality of wines coming out of the family estate.
GranMonte wines will be available in Hong Kong in early December, exclusively from Koh Tom Yums and the Chef there will again be put to the test as they plan to roll out a Thai wine and food paring menu for those who wish to engage in these great wines.
TLN is honoured to have had the opportunity to get an early taste of the future of Asian wine and we predict great things in the future for both GranMonte and the young and exceptionally talented Ms. Lohitnavy.
(Koh Tom Yums: 1st Floor D Deck, Discovery Bay Plaza Shop 105B, Lantau Island, Hong Kong – 29870767)
Contributed by Alasdair Nicol, TLN Editor – Hong Kong
