Week in pictures: Hong Kong

After all the fun of the Wine and Spirits Fair last week, Hong Kong still provided a host of wine-fuelled events, including a fantastic Kumeu River Chardonnay tasting and a swanky Rimarts Cava disgorgement dinner held in Macau.

A stunning line-up of Kumeu River Chardonnay from New Zealand kicked off this week in a tasting led by winemaker, Michael Brajkovich MW.  Known for producing some of New Zealand’s greatest Burgundian-style Chardonnay, Kumeu River Winery was found by the Croatian Brajkovich family in 1944. 

New Zealand’s first MW, Michael Brajkovich, describes his approach to making premium Chardonnay with extensive lees-ageing, MLF and use of native yeast, resulting in an elegant, fresh style which veers away from being “big, bold and buttery”.

Judging gets underway for this 2017’s Asia Wine Review (AWR) which champions the regions’s best made wine. Since its foundation last year by Flying Winemaker, Eddie McDougall, the AWR has expanded with ten members of Hong Kong’s wine trade now on the judging panel.

The 2017 AWR will officially launch on 9 February 2017 and will feature over 300 wines hailing from all corners of Asia including:  India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Lebanon, Russia, Israel and Taiwan.

Hong Kong got into the festive spirit early with a Johnnie Walker Blue Label and chocolate pairing dinner at the swanky Peninsula Hotel. Decadent dishes included duck liver with caramel chocolate and glazed short rib with chocolate barbecue sauce.

Arnaud Echalier, senior beverage manager at Sands CotaI Central resort in Macau pours from a magnum of Rimarts Cava at dinner where Rimarts’ second generation owner Ricard Martinez de Simon performed a live Cava disgorgement.

Singapore-based chef, Bruno Mesnard poses just before the 40th anniversary party of Concha y Toro’s Marques de Casa Concha.  

Held at the Grand Hyatt, the swanky bash honoured winemaker Marcelo Papa over a dinner which included several vintages of Marques de Casa Concha.

(Insider tip: the three stars on Bruno’s arm are a reminder of one of his greatest achievements: earning the L’Osier restaurant in Tokyo its first ever three Michelin stars.)

The drinks business Hong Kong’s publisher, Ivy Ng and Andrew Bigbee of Acker, Merrall and Condit (Asia) presented a cheque to Abbie Chan, Chairman of charity, Po Leung Kuk who was this year’s beneficiary of dbHK’s HITT event.

Over HK120,000 was raised for the venerable charity who provides support to disadvantaged women and young people in Hong Kong.