When it comes to wine, there is no need for a motive.
Singapore, buckle up, Bangkok is going on the right lane. It looks like Bangkok is going through a far-reaching culinary revolution, leaving nothing behind. Michelin stars went crazy, people are interested in chocolate, wine, freaking omakase, and even slow dining. Wine bars are popping one after another, and name Gaggan is known worldwide. Talking about Gaggan, he opened Wine bar here in Bangkok – Wet Bar. We saw some crazy wine bars and believe us when we say that this one is one of a kind.
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Chef Gaggan Anand is the father of the fourth-best restaurant in the world, according to 50Best. Titled with a few Michelin stars, making better Indian food in Thailand than any other in India, moving boundaries and ripping hearts apart. Yes, my friends, he closed the doors of his flagship – Gaggan, and things will never be the same again. Well, at least not as Indian progressive cuisine dinner… He is going to open another thrilling dinner, this time with fellow chef Takeshi ‘Goh’ Fukuyama in Fukuoka, Japan. We were too late to try his creations, but we won’t miss Japan for sure.
The man from behind the scenes of this cool wine bar is sommelier Vladimir Kojić who connected with Gaggan through the love of wine. His burning wish was to run a wine bar and Gaggan loved the idea. Kojić is a big lover of natural wines, so the abundant offer of those here didn’t surprise us. Biodynamic all the way!
Punk rocker, somewhere in the middle of the ’70s, takes his shoot of warm heroine on the dirty public toilet and steps into West Germany Bar and falls down on the floor of the American Barn. WTF, you must be asking. This is not common wine celery imitating wine bar, nor modern all in glass St. Regis bar. This is out of the script bar, which entrance looks more than a speakeasy than anything else. Your first sight is a “dirty” public toilet marked with guest’s signatures. However, the next room looks more like a bar, and the ambiance is great. Neon, bricks and chilled vibe. I must admit they stepped on the right way with the first floor, but second is kinda fail. It looks like someone got afraid of this design idea and smooth it with more casual attic. But hey, the idea is what counts.
There is no Thai who could tell me about wine, said one once. Sure, that’s why here you will be greeted by Croat, Milan. He is “mercenary” from Kojić and he knows wine stuff. We got a lot of information through the great chat and a little bit of amusement, all in one. To be honest all the staff is very pleasant and professional. BTW, Milan and Vladimir, we are still waiting for your call for lunch in Slovenia!
Maybe this is just my observation and designers of this place don’t consider this as an option. Still, this is my interpretation of the Wet Bar Bangkok design. When you step into the toilet and end up sitting inside the funky bar you will feel relaxed. All the problems are flushed away in the first room. You can’t help it but leave the “baggage” at the door and in the second room, you are just another guy who wants to enjoy his glass of wine. No need for asking yourself if you really deserve this one. Am I educated enough? Do I even know what is Cuvee… No man, this is chill-out zone to have a good glass of wine. But we Sommelier.. blah blah. Nope! Places like this are JOY, my friends. And sometimes simple pleasure is all you need.
The first page of the wine menu starts with “A fair wine must look where it comes from, the year it comes from, and have the guts of the person who made it.”, Jules Chauvert. Here are a few rules – natural wines, raw wines and biodynamic. The wine list is more than decent, especially if you consider these are all-natural wines, and wine list like this is not easy to find even in Europe. All compliments to Kojić, who is picking labels. Anyway, at Wet Bar they serve about 20 wines per glass and more than 150 labels by the bottle. Fascinating, right? Bottles come mostly from Western and Eastern Europe. With some well-known names like Paolo Vodopivec, Domaine Georges Noëllat, Domaine Ponsot, to less known like Nando, Slovenia and Ivan Kosovec, Croatia.
Loire Valley is not famous for its wines for nothing, that’s why Vivi opted for Domaine Sébastien Riffault “Les Quarterons” Sancerre, France, 2014. This organic bad boy is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, fresh with a medium body but great yeasty character. On the nose some honey, apples, figs and zesty sensation. In the mouth full of salty minerality, buttery smoothness and grass finish. Certainly oxidized, but still fruity. I could taste botrytis as well which shows late vintage. To sum up, outstanding Sauvignon.
My selection was Ivan Kosovec Frankovka Blaufrankisch, Croatia, 2017. Sure Croats are well known for great wines, but this one is an underdog. It cames from the less known region – Moslovina, continental Croatia where the conditions are a bit harsher than Istria and Dalmatia. However, this didn’t stop Ivan Kosovec to produce this great Blaufrankisch.
This wine is well-balanced and somehow easy. Fresh, medium-bodied with a medium but fruity aftertaste. On the nose black fruits with some notes of leather. Taste is as expected, fruity but with lower acidity. Alcohol is low here as well, which makes this Blaufrankisch fresh and joyous wine.
I will be fair as a raw wine. Wild’n’Free Diary is not a regular customer at wine bars on our travels. After all, we have all these wines on the catch of our hands back at home, so it would be nonsense to spoil us with wines in the region like Asia. But when it comes to special bars like Wet Bar, we are there. Wet Bar Bangkok is a pleasant cozy place, which can rub in the face to all rich ex guests from neighboring Gaggan that it is not about the fancy, but about the joy. And it is not rare to see people who have “all” but lack of joy.
To end this article, we fell in love with the wet bar, not as a place but as an idea and lovely staff. I wish Gaggan, Vladimir and Milan a nice success story with their natural wines in the middle of Bangkok.
Wine is expensive here in Asia and that’s not a secret. Luckily we are heading back home, where people literally pour wine downhill just to get an empty barrel for a new vintage. Anyway here at Wet Bar Bangkok, the price for a glass starts at 15 USD and goes up. Here is a link to the location if you don’t know where the Gaggan street is 😉
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