THAI FOOD'S NEWEST PALS

The debate over whether Thai food is suited to wine came close to
being put to rest at the recent Salomon Wine Dinner organised by
Benjawan Wisootsat and Jan Ganser of the wine-importing firm Fabulous Is
Needed (Fin).
The problem with finding wine to complement Thai cuisine is that so
many of our dishes feature the full range of flavours – spicy, salty, sour and
sweet.
Fin found a solution for its banquet at the new Conrad Samui’s restaurant
Jahn: Exactly the right whites from “superstar” Austrian winery Salomon
Undhof, and it even had Bertold and Gertrude Salomon on hand for the
occasion.
The Salomon family has been making wine since the late 18th century,
earning a reputation for their dry whites in particular. Meanwhile they also make
fruity reds in Australia.
Spanish-American chef Joe Diaz – who has worked at no fewer than five
Michelin-star restaurants – created the five-course dinner.
He took some liberties in Westernising Thai recipes to please
farang palates, and by my standards the spicing seemed mild, but his dishes
came close and I enjoyed everything a lot, simply because they were matched
with fine wine.
The aperitif was the very fresh 2009 Ultra Brut Rose Sekt, reportedly one of
Austria’s best sparklers. I was into my fourth glass when Gertrude began
telling me about the New Zealand white wine they’re developing. I had a
few more while Bert explained that Austrian Riesling is much drier and
less sweet than the German version. Bert is proud of his Riesling and his
Gruner Veltliner – a virtual national treasure for Austria. What about their
Australian Riesling?
“It has a more tropical-fruit character, from stone fruit like peaches and
apricots,” he said. “The Australian has similar secondary aromas, but because
of the shorter growing season, there’s more acidity.”
The terraced Salomon vineyard in Austria’s Kremstal region is heated by
the sun by day and chilled by the night winds, offering ideal conditions for
Riesling grapes to ripen, whereas those in Germany get less of the warmth.
The only Austrian Riesling at Jahn was the 2010 Undhof Kogl DAC from
Kremstal, which was matched with the first course – King Scallops Tartar with
red chillies, coriander, shallots, avruga caviar and cucumber.  
What made this a smart pairing were the wine’s lime and tangerine
tang and the white pepper in its long finish.
Next came Petit Tomato Salad with red chillies, coriander, puff pastry,
lemongrass and tomato sorbet, partnered with 2010 Sauvignon Blanc from
New Zealand, the white they’re developing with native cultivator Christopher
Andrew. Its fruity character is ideal for seafood and was a great complement to
the tropical flavours of the salad.
With Tom Yam Talay – seared scallop, tom yam jelly and seafood broth –
we had 2010 Gruner Veltliner Wieden & Berg DAC from Austria. The seafood
soup was clear and gently spicy. The wine is extra fresh thanks to its “juici
ness” and hints of pepper and struck a perfect balance.
Finding a wine to go with Massaman wagyu beef must have been tricky, but
2007 Fleurieu Peninsula Syrah Viognier from Australia was a good choice.
The tannins of the wine – which is 95 per cent syrah and the rest Viognier –
went well with the meat and its spicy yellow jus and made the dish lighter
and less fatty. It would have been a mistake to pair the beef with a white.
I could be accused of enjoying the last course too much. The Coconut
Crème Brule came with 2006 Riesling Undhof Auslese, also from Kremstal.
It’s easy to revel in the freshness and sweetness of this light dessert wine. You
soak up the scent of pineapple and other tropical fruit.
The whites ruled the night and Rieslings stole the show, obviously. But
that’s because it was Thai food that night, and you know it’s not a good idea
to overpower the intensity of dishes already blessed with strong aromas and
flavours.
It’s clear that the dry whites, with their freshness, juiciness and fruitiness,
are exactly what you need to enjoy the Thai food at Jahn.