Text and photos by David Trauts

For the second time in six months I was at The Laguna Bali in Nusa Dua for an evening of great wine and food. On this occasion at the Balai Raya Ballroom the hotel was presenting a little known (for me, till that moment) New Zealand wine called Kim Crawford. The Singapore importer of the wine, Travis Brown and Indonesian distributor, Karmal Bhojwani were present, and like any of the Starwood wine dinners, resident sommelier Harald Weisman was on hand to spread the sometimes lyrical word on his favorite liquid with help from his junior sommelier, Yudhi Suryawan, who took the stage to describe the wines with his personally written wine notes between courses all night long.

After the arrival champagne, cocktails and welcoming chat were completed the ensemble of 40 or so guests made their way into the main dining room. Large tables were circling a grand piano in the centre of the ballroom and there was plenty of space between them. As the first wine made its way out, the menu, the wine, the chef and the importer – all the main players of the event – were introduced to the gathering.

The dining was once again exquisite. Conceived and executed by chef Made Putra and his team from The Laguna Luxury Collection Resort, the six-course menu showed innovative moments, which were mostly winners, as the group of chefs pooled together to come up with a memorable array of creative fine dining. The best thing about a wine dinner is the fact that for the chefs this is the moment they can really shine. It’s the moment for punters to see them at their best. This is not just another dinner or wedding reception; all their bosses, other GMs from neighbouring hotels, and dining luminaries and restaurateurs from all over town are in attendance, so the pressure is on.

“The best thing about a wine dinner is the fact that for the chefs this is the moment they can really shine.”

At my table we had The Laguna hotel manager, Mark van Leeuwen and his Italian wife, Erika; GM at Bali Garden Beach Resort, Stefan Mueller; a woman who organizes ship crews out of Bali, Sybil Baldauf; the man behind Artisan wines (previously known as Wine of the Gods), Craig Newton and his wife, both from Perth, and also from the land down under, a young man making jewellery in Bali. The conversation was in full swing as the amuse bouche arrived to the table with the first wine, a Kim Crawford Pansy Rose from the Hawkes Bay region being poured liberally into the fine stemware.

Our table was made up of a fine bunch of characters.

Kim Crawford wines are relatively new having only had their first vintage in 1996. Travis Brown told the gathering that the owners were young bright hopefuls in the then fledgling and revolutionary NZ wine industry back in the mid eighties. They had bold and innovative ideas and wanted to produce and present under one label the very best wines from every grape variety and every premium wine-growing region in New Zealand. They did that without a winery of their own before acquiring their own parcels of land later to grow their own grapes upon.

A slow-poached lobster tail and U10 scallops made their way to the table with a Kim Crawford SP Spitfire, Sauvignon Blanc (SB) 2008 from Marlborough. The wine was complex, maybe too much so for an SB, but definitely interesting on the palate, while the large scallop and piece of lobster tail with artichoke heart, oven-dried tomatoes and brown onion juice and vanilla lemon vinaigrette was absolutely divine. The combination – excellent.

Raviolo of Quail, which we have featured in this edition’s recipes, was accompanied by a Marlborough SB 2010. Stephan on my left claimed it to be a more traditional sauvignon blanc than the previous. “This wine doesn’t want to age too long,” he said to me in his think German accent. “The first was tasting a bit burnt to me,” he observed. The Australian woman opposite, wife of Artisan wines, Craig, heralded the virtues of the first sav blanc, the Spitfire, as a great, innovative wine.

The seared ahi tuna – done rare, took us in a more Japanese direction, with the almost raw tuna being joined with a black mussel and wild rice salad and pinot noir jus, drizzled with rosemary oil. This also came with a serve of caviar on top of the tuna and I believe that it was a rosemary foam splashed over the top. Light, tasty and a rather large piece of tuna. Maybe the mussel and rice salad was cut too small for my liking, but it was inventive and tasty. The combination of the tuna, salad, jus, and watercress salad was very fresh and enticing. I’m not sure if a pinot noir jus should be paired with a pinot noir wine, it sounds too easy or something, but that’s indeed what chef Made chose to serve with the first pinot of the evening. This was a 2009 Marlborough Pinot Noir that had a bit of bite to it but refreshing with the dish.

The conversation was now rollicking along with extended stretches of time given to each participant around the table to say their piece. As people were loosening up, the next course came circling the table, escorted by the very competent Laguna dining staff.

Tender veal sirloin – done medium – arrived to the table with sautéed seedless grapes, soft foie gras butter, marble of preserved red beetroot, potato puree and grilled leaks with a cognac reduction. The two top quality pieces of meat were cooked exactly to medium and were very tender. An excellent main course dish, maybe too many sauces, but I don’t suppose a good piece of meat can always be served in its natural state alone. In this case, the meat was joined by the foie gras butter, the red beetroot preserve, and of course the cognac reduction. Now that was rich. And speaking of rich, the second pinot noir, and an SP Kim’s Favorite from 2007 no less, was a wine to match such a succulent and rich main that we were all enjoying at that point. That was a killer wine, indeed, but not the last.

“Maybe the mussel and rice salad was cut too small for my liking, but it was inventive and tasty.”

Before the sensational dessert arrived, which was an Araguani 72% bitter chocolate mousse with cinnamon merlot rhubarb compote and dried fig sherbet, a choice selection of Kings Island Tasmanian cheeses made it to the table. There was blue cheese, double brie and a cloth matured cheddar with sour plum strudel and a walnut melba. Both these final plates were washed down with a Kim Crawford Hawkes Bay Merlot 2009. Ah, the dear merlot is back. After appearing to lose favor over the past decade Merlot has bounced back to the fore, and while this particular wine may have been a little young it still was well rounded and perfect for the finale of the Kim Crawford wine dinner.

This was another wonderful wine dinner. For people from all walks of life who maybe just have an inclining or slight interest in fine foods and wines, or for people who have worked in the industry for years and are now slightly jaded, these nights are always memorable. Chef Made Putra and his team excelled once again and no doubt we’ll be back again soon for more.

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