Geert Vanbaelen, beverage manager Siem Reap (L) and Olivier Gilles, beverage manager Phnom Penh display their wine wares. Photograph supplied

Good news for oenophiles – chic resort Navutu Dreams is hosting a wine night on October 13. The Tommasi Wine Dinner will introduce five wines from Tommasi winery’s Venetian vineyard, along with five delectable dishes from Navutu’s kitchen to compliment them.

Organiser Geert Vanbaelen, beverage manager at wine emporium The Warehouse says, “We have a representative, Elena Bortoletto, coming from Tommasi. The whole dinner is going to be based on wines from that winery, which is celebrating its one hundred and tenth anniversary this year.

“We promote different kinds of wineries every couple of months. I’m inviting a lot of hoteliers but of course it’s also open to expats and to hotel guests who want to go as well.”

This is the second time the Navutu Dreams team has collaborated with The Warehouse, having hosted a wine dinner last year at its restaurant Il Forno,  and co-owner Giovanna Morandi  is delighted to host the Tommasi night.

“We have a beautiful thatched roof restaurant that opens on the garden and two swimming pools, creating a perfect setting,” she says. “The garden is lit with torches and candles are placed around the pools, and the ambience becomes magical.”

The dinner kicks off with a light prosecco, accompanied by radicchio quiche, sausage rolls and assorted bruschette. This will be swiftly followed by a  pinot grigio alongside parma ham wraps with roquette and parmesan. Finally there will be three reds in ascending order of depth and flavour; the last, a  valpolicella, because “chocolate goes well with red wine, and berries also,” Vanbaelen explains, indicating the decadent-sounding chocolate fondant with mixed berries on the menu.

He adds, “We made up a menu which is Italian-based, that’s why we wanted to mix it with Italian wines. But it’s not only Italian, it’s more of a Mediterranean feel so we wanted to promote that as well. Navutu came up with a menu and we tried to pair it together with the wines.”

Giovanna adds, “It is always very exciting to prepare a tailor-made dinner for a great selection of wines. Our executive chef Sopheak Sao, who has been head-chef at Il Forno for almost two years, and has since the opening of the resort been supervising both kitchens, came up with different proposals and after many inspiring tasting sessions we came up with the menu. It will be an Italian gourmet evening in a beautiful tropical setting and we are really looking forward to it.”

The dinner starts at 7pm. For bookings please contact: [email protected]