Margie's Monthly Wine Dinner at Issara Thai Restaurant

 Saturday,  June 14, 2022

14 of us tonight for the June dinner organized by Margie. It has been a few years since we have met here. New Chef, new owner. 

II started out with a couple of appetizers.  Issara Chicken Wings with house special chili sauce. Had these before and remembered they were good. Not disappointed. 

Then onto Fried Calamari with two sauces, hot & spicy and sweet & sour.  Preferred the sweet and sour. Nicely cooked calamari rings.  I have had better but then I have had a lot worse. These were just average. Good.

Soup was Tom Yum Hot Pot with shrimp, tomatoes. lemongrass-kaffier lime broth, fresh mushrooms and cilantro bird eye chili. A very nice soup. Just enough tang to keep it interesting. Loads of flavor.

Main was Pompano Chu Chee. Whole Pompano fish, deep fried with red curry in coconut milk. Good flavors. Nice light white flesh on the fish and the sauce added a nice punch. 

Side was a plate of Tom Yum Dumplings, steamed in a spicy Tom Yum broth with egg noodles, coconut milk, chili paste, lime juice, crushed peanuts and green onions. This dish was mild compared to the other dishes I had. 

A wide assortment of wines tonight, most pairing well with the food. Have no idea what others ordered as we were each ordering off the menu individually.   I brought a 2020 Tercero, Outlier which is a dry gewurztraminer.  Pairs well with spicy foods. 

Other wines brought tonight:

2020 Broken Earth , Albarino - nice, clean wine

2020 Emma Reichart, Dry Riesling - did not taste

2021 Joel Gott, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste

2013 Double Bond, Pinot Noir - did not taste

NV   Collet, Blanc de Blanc, Premier Cru - nice, light bubbly

2014 Kosta Browne , Koplen Vineyard, RRV, Pinot Noir - very good

2017 Kremstal Reserve, Riesling - did not taste

2018 Williams Selyem, Vista Verde Vineyards, Gruner Veltliner - did not taste

2020 J.Lohr, Grenache, Rose - did not taste

2019 Carol Shelton, Coquille Blanc - did not taste

2015 Guyomar, Monsigner Blend - interesting wine 

2021 Tablas Creek, Patelin de Tablas Rose - nice light wine

2021 Vento . Vermentino - went well with the food

2019  Connachigria Resilienza Benevutano, Falanghina - paired well with the food

2017 Doamine Sylvain Bailly, La Louie, Sancerre Rose - excellent wine