Week in pictures: Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s vinous world has seen some fantastic events of late, including hanging out with James Halliday, feeling the heat at Wine and Dine and a 1982 Bordeaux vertical dinner at Petrus.

dbHK’s Lucy at home behind the bar with the team from Athens’ favourite hangout, The Clumsies at the Lobster Bar and Grill in the Island Shangri-La. A big welcome also to Balazs Molnar (left), formerly of London’s Artesian who has moved over to Hong Kong Kong to work at the Lobster Bar! 

Sangre y Arena: the Clumsies’ twist on a classic Blood and Sand cocktail, made with Tequila blanco and Mezcal with an accompanying dish of dehydrated orange flakes and pomegranate juice – mimicking very well, what we think blood and sand would look like… 

Agave aficinado, Jay Khan, poses next to his beloved Mezcal. After years of experience working in bars around Australia, Hong Kong and Macau, Khan joined cosy speakeasy, Foxglove as its group beverage director last month. 

Definitely cannot find this in Ikea! Jay serves up a racy and refreshing Mezcal cocktail complete with an El Dia Los Muertos skull from Mezico. Cocktails aside, we think it’d made a nice planter for mint….

Organised by Wine Australia, the legendary critic, James Halliday was briefly in town to host a guided masterclass of some of his top-rated wines. The Australian gems on offer included Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon 2005 (96 points), Mount Pleasant Maurice O’Shea Hunter Valley Shiraz 2014 (99 points) and Dalrymple Coal River Pinot Noir 2013 from Tasmania (95 points). Here, Halliday is pictured alongside Larry Cherubino from Cherubino winery in Margaret River with his 95-pointer Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 and Garrick Harvison, sales director for Asia Pacific representing McWilliam’s 842 Chardonnay Tumbarumba 2013 which also scored 95 points. Also joining in are three US Presidents as part of American Club’s take on Mount Rushmore…

I’ve got that Halliday feeling… the line up of stunning Australian fine wine, guided by James Halliday.

An unforgettable line up of 1982 Bordeaux, courtesy of Yohann Jousselin MS – area sommelier of the Shangri-la hotel group – and Restaurant Petrus. A jaw-dropping wine selection included Certan de May, Latour, Margaux, Leoville-Poyferre, Leoville Las Cases, La Mission Haut Brion was served as part of the Island Shangri-la’s Festival of Gastronomy with guest chef, Frédéric Anton from the three-Michelin starred Le Pré Catelan in Paris. 

Cuvaison Estate Wines in Napa Valley has released two limited edition labels featuring rare prints from artist, Andy Warhol in aid of the Andy Warhol Foundation Partnership  As part of the launch, Hong Kong importer, Kedington Wines hosted a preview with Jay Schuppert, President of Cuvaison (pictured right) at Events on Gough in Central.

Anthony Lau, executive director of Hong Kong’s Tourism Board, Stephan Delaux, deputy mayor of Bordeaux and president of Bordeaux International Events and CIVB’s president, Allan Sichel gathered at Hong Kong’s eight Wine and Dine festival to discuss the links between Hong Kong and Bordeaux as wine-loving cities and centres of tourism. According to the CIVB, exports of Bordeaux wine to China has reached the highest level yet, with a growth of 22%, compared to 2015. 

A quick tour of Wine and Dine festival in 35c+ temperatures had us seeking shelter at Stockton’s Singleton whisky bar manned by Maximal Concepts group beverage manager, Sandeep Hathiramani and bartender, Tika Gurung. Who said it was too early for Old Fashioneds?

A treasure box of delicious La Rioja Alta wines as part of Kerry Wines’ annual portfolio tasting, Sip and Savour, held at CIAK Italian restaurant in Central.

Mathilde Prot, agency director of Sopexa Hong Kong opened the Cheese and Whisky workshop, in association with the European Dairy Association and European Union. Hosted by cheese master, Francois Bourgon, the gourmet fromage journey looked at a variety of cheese and whisky pairings with Gorgonzola heralded as an epic match with Kavalan whisky. 

Ending the week on an extremely high note, Aqua bar and restaurant on the 29th and 30th floor in Tsim Sha Tsui hosted a media preview of its new ‘Because, Brunch’ menu featuring selection of Japanese and Italian delights with free-flow Veuve Clicquot and Ruinart Blanc de Blanc champagne.