After a wonderful afternoon on the beach with Diana, and best friends Cathy and Conrad, we decide to try a Thai place in Sea Girt. Of course I came prepared with two wines that I thought might go well with Thai cuisine.
The Wine: Chateau de Jonquiers Corbières, Grenache Syrah, and Avant-Garde, Sauvignon Blanc, Val D’Orbieu Cooperative $$-$$$
The Food: A feast of delicious Thai cuisine
The Place: Siam Basil, Sea Girt New Jersey
Not all that much to look at from the outside, I had read many good reviews about Siam Basil on Yelp, but was still unsure until we arrived for dinner and found the parking lot filled with high end SUVs and sedans. This restaurant has instant charm inside. The wait staff are dressed in traditional Thai apparel and are very attentive. While the restaurant is small the seating is adequately spacious.
I would not typically go to French wine for Thai, my usual choice being a German Riesling, an Austrian Gruner Veltliner or a South African Chenin Blanc. All whites. I might pair a Pinot Noir but probably a New Zealand.
Yet I had a sense that these two, which I had been sent for sampling, might work. They really did. Thank you Susannah Gold.
Chateau de Jonquiers is Grenache Syrah blend from the Corbières wine region in the Languedoc-Roussillon, an area we have been very interested in lately. It has depth that would allow it to stand up to big meat dishes, yet at the same time it has a delicate complexity that compliments lighter dishes like these. The tannins are mild in this wine and it is also very balanced which I think are two important factors when pairing with a complex cuisine like Thai.
The Avant-Garde is all Sauvignon Blanc, very flavorful with citrus, passion fruit and grass, also very well balanced. Very fresh and lively yet happily missing the sharp edges you often find in New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc.
The Advant-Garde was the mostly likely choice for our first appetizer, Tofu Tord, fried bean curd with peanut sauce, given the dish's lightness in style and flavor, it went well, yet the Chateau de Jonquiers tasted good too and the berry flavors were a great contrast for the peanut sauce.
The intensity and complexity of Thai food can present a wine pairing challenge, with this dish Larb Gai, marinated minced chicken with onion, scallion, lime juice, and fresh Thai herbs, the Sauvignon Blanc citrus complimented the dish well, yet the Grenache Syrah, with its smooth balanced flavor provided a nice contrast.
It was Joe Bastianich that said wine should compliment or contrast but never conflict. Any oakey buttery Chardonnay, or a very tannic Italian would conflict with these dishes.
We liked the Mae Krob Crispy noodle with egg & shrimp mixed in sweet tamarind sauce, here both wines complimented the tamarind flavors, and the mild flavors of the shrimp and noodles.
Curries are so interesting to pair wine with, they have such vivid flavors, with this Kang Deang Red Curry, with shrimp, eggplant, bamboo shoot, chili, and basil with coconut milk, the tropical and grassy flavors of the Sauvignon Blanc complimented this dish very well. For the red, the herbal, earthy tones you find in wines coming from the Languedoc terroir were a wonderful accent to this dish. Again the fine balance of these well made wines was essential.
Mention classic Pad Thai and I immediately think of Thai beer, yet there are many wines that pair well. Here I thought the Chateau de Jonquiers Grenache Syrah was the perfect pairing, and was also perfect with the delicious tamarind duck.
All the food was delicious, and the dining experience divine. The restaurant was busy but service and timing of the food was great.
I am happy to have a great go to place near one of our favorite beaches, Sea Girt, and to have a broader number of wine options for Thai cuisine.
These wines are created and marketed by Val D’Orbieu, "a cooperative enterprise for pioneered wines. “Over 40 years ago, a handful of winemakers, who believed their land and their wine were totally unique, came together to create a business that was founded on three important beliefs: unity, ethics and excellence. Val d’Orbieu was born."
2161 Route 35 South Sea Girt, across from the Starbucks
732-974-7300
Things to do, places to see, with food and booze
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