The week in pictures: Hong Kong

Craft beer aplenty, tasty introductions to wines from Israel and Slovenia, new restaurant launches and the royal combination of Champagne and caviar. It’s been a decadent week in HK’s wine industry.

Selfies and Champagne swilling: Everyone channelled their inner Russian tsar at Sensis design studio’s celebration of Champagne and Russian Osetra caviar pairing. Bubbles on offer included Krug grande cuvée, Dom Ruinart rosé 1996, J de Telmont 2005 and V&N Cellar Brut Reserva NV Cava matched with Osetra caviar which follows a 19th century recipe.

Dom Ruinart rosé 1996 with Moskva caviar was a particularly great match!

Philip Penaloza of Holy Land wines in Hong Kong introduces wines from Tulip Winery, Lueria Winery, Odem Mountain and Adir Winery all based in Israel over a tasty dinner of Italian food at Sai Ying Pun’s Monteverdi Restaurant.

Paccheri (pasta originally from Campania and Calabria) with broccoli and sausage along with Odem Mountain’s Volcanic Shiraz 2013 was a stand out dish, with the Monteverdi’s owner, Armando Osmani only using ingredients sourced from Italy and made using ‘Roman’ recipes. Founded in 2003, Odem Mountain Winery is in the Golan Heights and owned by the Alfasi family. One of Israel’s northernmost wineries, the estate’s vines are grown on the slopes of Odem Mountain, an extinct volcano.

Canadian roasted lobster with oregano, chilli and lemon was a highlight during a recent visit to the newly opened Mercato, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Hong Kong venture in California Tower. With Planeta Chardonnay on tap via Coravin, it was a match made in decadence.

Ho Chi Minh’s craft brewery, Pasteur Street has spread its wings to Hong Kong and four new beers are now ripe for the tasting. Using imported hops and barley but incorporating Vietnamese herbs and spices, Pasteur Street’s offerings include Jasmine IPA, Spice Island Saison, Passion fruit Wheat Ale and Toasted Coconut Porter.  

Slovenian stunners: Gasper wines are from Goriška Brda, a hilly microregion which runs into Slovenia from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Winemaker, Gasper Carman a current MW student was in town to introduce his wines with the whites made predominantly from Malvasia, with some Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay and reds from Merlo and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Winemaker Gasper Carman leads Hong Kong’s wine trade through his wines. Although the Malvasia is available in the UK through Liberty Wines, the wines are yet to make landfall in Hong Kong. “They are sommeliers’ wines,” he said to dbHK afterwards. “People won’t pick them off a wine list themselves, but I think once they are explained, people get very interested and will probably be more willing to try them.”

The week also saw the launch of Californian brewery, Seven Brews in Hong Kong. The brewers, Scott Andrews and Shizuka Scott hosted a beery bash at the Blue Butcher, highlighting Seven Brews’ IPA and Golden Ale.