When work and daily hectic routine took over my life, i can't help but to miss the days of freedom, travelling and fun. It has already been a month since my return to Malaysia. Legs are itching for another adventure! Till then, i'll have to settle with blogging about my travel experience and looking back at beautiful photos in the countries i visited. Today, i'm going to share with you one of my favourite destinations in Hua Hin, Thailand--Hua Hin Vineyard.

   During my graduation trip to Hua Hin, we hired the service of a driver and his 4WD vehicle for one day. We acquired his contact through the hotel's reception. He charged us approximately 3000 baht and covered almost 8-10 tourist attractions. I would say it is quite value for money if you are travelling in a big group. Plus, Hua Hin doesn't have any established public transport, only those highly expensive tuk-tuk is available.

    Anyway, after lunch, we decided to visit the famous Hua Hin Hills that is also the house of Hua Hin Vineyard and other interesting finds. Who knows, there is a vineyard in a tropical place like Hua Hin? It took us around 45 minutes to travel from Hua Hin town to the hilly roads and finally, The Vineyard. Along the way, we were greeted by trails of beautiful greens and scenery. When nearing the Hua Hin Hill, we were welcomed by rows of grape vines with green and purple grapes. There are several tourist packages like elephant riding, vineyard tour, wine tasting. However, due to time constraint, we skipped this and had a walk around the vineyard before settling down for an afternoon 'tea' in the vineyard's restaurant--The Sala.

Rows and rows of grape vines

Us with the soon-to-be-ripe Muscat grapes

Outlook of The Sala

The Sala--Hua Hin Vineyard Restaurant

   As you can see from the photos above, The Sala is housed on the hilly trails of the vineyard. It has a classical laid back style which immediately spells relaxation in our minds. The staffs welcomed us with warm greetings, making us feel at home instantly. For our afternoon 'tea', we decided to order a wine from the extensive wine menu that featured red, white, sparkling and dessert wines all brewed locally in Hua Hin Vineyard. Since we were seated on a vineyard, we certainly had to go with their signature Grape Cheese Cake, Grape Sorbet and a bottle of dessert wine (Monsoon Valley Muscat 37) to go with our beautiful desserts.

Grape Cheese Cake--160 Baht++ Cream cheese cake topped with grapes, whipped cream and grape jam.

Grape Yogurt Sorbet--130 Baht++ Grape yogurt sorbet dressed with tuiles, grapes and whipped cream.

Dessert Wine: Monsoon Valley-Muscat 37--850 Baht++ A dark salmon-pink fortified wine made Muscat grapes, Monsoon Valley Muscat, fortified wine is deliciously sweet and well-balanced. Smooth on the palate, its lush aromas of lychee and rose and cherry blossom make Monsoon Valley Muscat, fortified wine an excellent choice to pair with dessert on just sipped on its own.

Multiple Award Winning Wine

    When it comes to wine, i have to admit, i am not exactly an expert as i'm more of a coffee person. I am an occasional drinker. Dessert wine is truly my first, as the conventional would always be red or sometimes, white wine. Therefore, i was pretty excited for this dessert wine. Oh well, how do i begin with this complexity. Firstly, the smell of this Muscat 37 is fruity, flowery and sweet. The colour was a beautiful rose gold, with a tinge of pink. It is clear and clean, unlike its sister, red wine, kinda mimics white wine in its appearance. For the taste, on the first sip, i was hit by a wave of alcohol fumes, then it slowly transformed into a subtle sweetness, filled with the sweet aroma of lychee and rose. I couldn't appreciate cherry blossom, perhaps more in the smell than flavour. When paired with cheese cake, these 2 are just match-make in heaven, even though the cheese cake was rather ordinary. On the other hand, the grape yogurt sorbet was a wonderful addition to our hot summery afternoon. It was refreshing, sour and sweet at the same time.

Cheers~

   Besides food and wine, The Sala also promotes Hua Hin Vineyard through the sales of various vineyard products like wines, grape jam, grapes, grape dessert, grape raisins and more, all locally produced. Although we did not spend much time over here, we did not even visit the wine making factory or the vines, but we truly enjoyed the nature, the wine, the scenery, the hospitality and of course the company we have. I would strongly recommend this attraction to friends that are visiting Hua Hin in the future. Spend one full afternoon here, explore the local vineyard, the factory and this restaurant. I am sure you would love it like i did. I hope you enjoy this post, have a great week ahead!

More Information~
Website: http://www.huahinhills.com/