The week in pictures: Hong Kong

Meeting the eminent João Pires MS, tasting Michael Ragg’s unbeatable Burgundy wines from Aloxe-Corton and getting reacquainted with Marlborough wine legends, Hunter’s. It’s all in a week’s work for db HK.

João Pires Master Sommelier and director of wines for Altira and City of Dreams in Macau, hosted a Meiburg Wine Media SPIT workshop on building a profitable wine list for the HK and Macau F&B trade. Reducing “customer pain” in terms of pricing and the wine list layout is essential for a happy sommelier/customer relationship, he advised. 

Fine and Rare held a tasting of Michael Ragg’s stunning Mischief & Mayhem wines from Aloxe-Corton in northern Côte de Beaune. Guests sipped their way through the 2012 and 2013 vintages from the entry-level Bourgogne Chardonnay to the fruit-forward and elegant 2012 Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Aux Brulées.

The winemaking legend that is Jane Hunter stopped by Hong Kong to reacquaint the drinks trade with her classic Marlborough wines, the 2012 Pinot Noir, 2014 Sauvignon Blanc and 2014 Riesling at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club.

Visiting the Helena May Institute is like stepping back in time. Established in 1916 by Helena May, the wife of the HK Governor to house “unaccompanied British women arriving in Hong Kong,” the building was occupied by the Japanese during WWII and was later reclaimed by the RAF. In the run up to its 100th anniversary, it had a full refurb and db HK went along to sample its delicious afternoon tea and bask in the elegant surroundings. 

Several of Hong Kong’s finest bartenders from drinking hotspots such as Bibo, Arena, Bar Butler, Ham & Sherry, Topiary and the Woods gathered to create their most creative cocktail using D1 London Gin in the run-up to Hong Kong’s inaugural Gintober event next month.

Fashion and fizz: Mumm Champagne sponsored the bar for Shanghai Tang’s glitzy launch of its A/W ’15 collection at the flagship store in Duddell Street.

As a respite from the unrelenting Hong Kong heat, db HK headed off to Cheung Chau, a small undeveloped island a 35-minute ferry ride away from Central. The day ended very happily with mountains of seafood, plenty of Tsingtao beer and a spectacular sunset.