The perfect match

Xavier Vicente, the brand ambassador of Marques de Caceres wines from Spain, treated foodies and wine lovers last week to plenty of sensorial delights with a special dinner that paired his fine wines with delicious dishes created by the chefs at The District Grill Room & Bar of Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit.
 “Our wines are very round, smooth, fruity and always easy to drink. They’re accessible to every palate and I think they will also suit the Thai palate. Thailand is not yet a mature market for wine, and Marques de Caceres produces very good quality wines that everybody can drink,” says Vicente, who oversees the Asian market and has been working with Marques de Caceres for 10 years.
The dinner kicked off with the savoury and refreshing seafood tartare, served with roe, grapefruit and mato, a light, fresh Catalan cream cheese. The dish was paired with Deusa Nai Albarino 2011, a wine that sports a golden hue with pale green highlights and fragrant bouquet notes of minerals, grapefruit and mandarin. The vivacious mouth feel and fresh acidity was an excellent complement to the raw fish.
Next up was poached lobster and grilled red mullet served with rice puree and Manchego cheese and crispy job’s tears. The Marques de Caceres Antea 2010, which embodies a fresh herbal bouquet of ripe fruits and vanilla, helped soothe the lobster’s strong taste, while the richness and pleasant length added layers to the cheese and the rather bland mullet.
Vicente served the Crianza 2009 with slow-cooked pork and artichoke, mustard chutney and honey. The dish was prominently sweet and thus a good match for this slightly spicy and silky red. Another red, Reserva 2008, was paired with roasted duck breast with cocoa and spice crust, served with potato and blue cheese puree. The dish was bursting with flavours and fragrance, with duck, spices and blue cheese all in the mix, so it was in dire need of something even bolder and full-bodied. Reserva 2008 was a decent choice as it boasts a bouquet of plum, raspberries, oaky flavours and supple tannin.
The last dish of the night was hazelnut churro – Spanish donut – served with Catalan cream cheese and berries. It was matched with Satinela 2011, made of Malvasia and Virua grapes and with a heavenly fragrance of wild flowers. On the palate you could taste tropical fruits and with its slightly sweet, crisp and clean finish, it’s an ideal accompaniment to the a creamy dessert such as this one.
Vicente stresses that Marques de Caceres is not only good Western food but that several of its wines go well with Thai cuisine.
“For Thai food, especially if it’s spicy, you need a point of acidity in your wines. I have tasted our wines with Thai food and would suggest that the best pairing is our rose, which you can find in many leading restaurants and bars.”
Marques de Caceres was founded in 1970 by Enrique Forner, head of an enterprising family devoted to wine trade, best vine growers and vineyards in Spain’s La Rioja area. The business is run today by Cristina Forner, the fifth generation of this wine family.

Grapes of delight
>> Marques de Caceres wines are currently available through selected restaurants and bars only.
>> Find out more at www.MarquesDeCaceres.com,