Grapes with rhythm

If the perennial beer garden is not up your alley, you might want to check out the new lounge at Crystal Design Centre – CDC - powered by Australian winery Jacob’s Creek, where you can sip fine wine and enjoy live jazz and the wintry breeze.

Spread over a generous 500 square metres, the al fresco lounge can comfortably accommodate hundreds of guests on cushioned sofas. Calling itself the first outdoor wine and jazz lounge in Asia, it serves pasta, salad, pizza and tapas from Italian restaurant Falabella. Soup, salads and tapas start at Bt150. Pizzas can be had from Bt340, and pasta dishes are from Bt290. 

There also is quite a selection of cheeses to sate anyone’s craving. The platters of assorted cheeses are Bt240 and Bt340 – ask the staff to pair the wine for you. 

You can choose from as many as 20 labels of reds and whites here. The highlight is the Thai debut of premium Jacob’s Creek Heritage Collection, with Jacob’s Creek Reeves Point Chardonnay (Bt2,500 a bottle) and Jacob’s Creek St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon (Bt2,900 a bottle), made from the best cabernet grapes in Koonawarra. The former has the flavours of fresh citrus, peach and rich butter while the latter tastes of cassis and blackberry, with dark chocolate complemented by subtle cedar oak notes.

The Three Vines series is available from Bt850 a bottle and other reds and whites are served by the bottle from Bt800. If you like bubbly, GH Mumm Champagne starts from Bt4,200 and a bottle of Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay Pinot Noir sparkling wine is Bt1,250. 

In Thailand, where there’s wine, there’s always jazz. It’s the same, with local artists taking turns performing on stage from early in the night.

It’s a nice setting for friends to hang out and chat – just make sure to keep distance from the stage as it could get very loud. There are a few proper tables in the corner if you need more privacy. If you enjoy wine and jazz, the lounge is a great bargain to try Jacob’s Creek products, which are normally priced considerably higher in other outlets. 

Now part of the Thai winter tradition, beer gardens started simply but today offer various genres of music and different cuisines. It remains to be seen if wine lounges can break away from the concepts of “wine and jazz” or “wine and cheese” and surprise us with something more. 

 

SOME CHEESE WITH THAT?

Jacob’s Creek Wine & Jazz Lounge continues until February 19. You’ll find it at the Crystal Design Centre on Ekamai-Ramindra Road. 

Call (080) 081 7444 or check out Jacob’s Creek Thailand Facebook page.