Villa Maria @G Hotel Kelawai Penang

BY CK Lam

The dining possibilities and combinations are endless at G Hotel Kelawai in Penang. This time around, the 2PM Lounge on the hotel’s lobby level was the setting for the Villa Maria wine dinner.

A big long table with high chairs for 20 was tastefully decorated for the wine pairing dinner.

Villa Maria Wine Dinner

 

Mr Simon Fell, the winemaker of Villa Maria hosted the sit down wine dinner with New Zealand wines from Marlborough and Hawkes Bay soils.

The evening started out at the hotel’s rooftop Gravity Bar, with white wine and vision of the city before adjourning to 2PM Lounge.

Villa Maria Wine Dinner
Simon Fell introduce the Villa Maria wine before the first course

 

The winemaker who have 20 over years of wine making experience introduced and shared his thoughts on the vintages and qualities of the wines:

Villa Maria Chardonnay East Coast 2014
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2013
Villa Maria Reserve Pinot Noir 2012
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2009
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2014
Villa Maria Gewurztraminer East Coast 2014

Villa Maria Wine Dinner

It was delightful meeting up with food and wine lovers and also seeing familiar faces whom I have clinked glasses with at previous Villa Maria’s wine dinner.

Villa Maria Wine Dinner11892007_871891722880477_277645533991.jpgDSCF0134.jpg 11888083_871891746213808_507796660342.jpg 11896215_871891692880480_47105203363.jpg

A pleasure meeting up with Simon Fell, William Chong and Michael Hanratty

 

The wines were paired with culinary creations, done in Executive Sous Chef Dodi’s way, and every dish was plated nicely. The menu flaunt a pan seared foie gras starter, a duck confit tortellini, pan seared Norwegian salmon, beef tenderloin and a raspberry opera cake.

I could see the plating of the beef dish in the kitchen. The chef did a wild mushroom sauce to go with the grilled slow cooked beef tenderloin, plated with chateau potato and leek fondue. The dish was paired with the elegant Cellar Selection Syrah 2013, with fruity flavors and quite a lengthy lingering finish.

Villa Maria Wine Dinner @ 2PM G Hotel Kelawai, Penang
Much happening in the kitchen with the preparation of the beef tenderloin

A Night with Simon & Villa Maria in 2PM G Kelawai Penang A Night with Simon & Villa Maria in 2PM G Kelawai Penang A Night with Simon & Villa Maria in 2PM G Kelawai Penang

A Night with Simon & Villa Maria in 2PM G Kelawai Penang A Night with Simon & Villa Maria in 2PM G Kelawai Penang A Night with Simon & Villa Maria in 2PM G Kelawai Penang

Duck confit tortellini, Norwegian salmon, and grilled slow cooked beef tenderloin

 

It was a dinner, done with wonderful symphony. The serving of each dish was perfectly timed, with time between to mingle and sip more wine.

The last final wine for the night was the Villa Maria Gewurztraminer East Coast 2014. The pleasant wine with rose petal and spice layered palate enabled it to match easily with the dessert of raspberry opera cake with ganache, vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries.

Villa Maria Wine Dinner @2PM Lounge, G Hotel Kelawai, Penang
Gewurztraminer, a pleasant wine paired with the raspberry opera dessert

 

Congratulations to Chef Dodi and his team for crating the courses in delighting our palate and also thanks to Simon Fell for sharing much of the New Zealand wines.

Villa Maria wines are represented by Asiaeuro in Malaysia.

Villa Maria Wine Dinner @2PM Lounge, G Hotel Kelawai, Penang
The kitchen team led by chef Dodi

Villa Maria Wine Dinner @2PM Lounge, G Hotel Kelawai, Penang

Villa Maria Wine Dinner @Gravity Bar, G Hotel Kelawai, Penang
Enjoyed a glass of Villa Maria wine at Gravity Bar


* Other images courtesy of G Hotel Kelawai