The fragrance of empire
Esterhazy wines from the Austro-Hungarian frontier charm connoisseurs at the Dusit Thani
Valentine Management imports Esterhazy wines from Austria and is keen to show them off. Its recent wine dinner at the Dusit Thani Hotel’s restaurant Benjarong did just that, leaving everyone impressed.
Esterhazy takes its name from the princes of Burgenland, Austria’s second-largest wine region, which huddles against the Hungarian border. The vineyards that straddled the frontier during the Austro-Hungarian Empire formed a vast, uninterrupted sea of vines.
Early fans of the local grape included Empress Maria Theresa and the revered composer Joseph Haydn, who was the royal court’s resident musician and was paid in part in wine.
The Esterhazy descendants opened their winery in 2006, filling it with up-do-date facilities including modern cellar technology.
The evening at Benjarong began with a Hokkaido-scallop carpaccio in lime and palm sugar, green mango salad and micro-greens with coconut cr
