The week in pictures: Hong Kong

Hong Kong once again lives up to its reputation as the wine capital of Asia this week with events ranging from Kerry Wines’ Spanish wine tasting and importer L’Imperatrice’s private Domaine Sylvain Cathiard et Fils dinner to Sicily’s Passopisciaro and Chianti Montalbano’s Tenuta Cantagallo visits. Click through the slides to see highlights from this week’s tastings, wine dinners and winemaker visits.

Winemaker/owner of Tenuta Cantagallo e Le Farnete in Carmignano and Tenuta Cantagallo in Chianti Montalbano, Dario Pierazzuoli, was in Hong Kong this week, hosting a wine dinner with his local distributor Cottage Vineyards at Nicholini’s restaurant at the Conrad hotel.

Pictured is Carlo Franchetti of Vini Franchetti showcasing a 2013 vintage wine from his Sicilian winery Passopisciaro, located on the northern side of Mount Etna. He believes that Nerello Macalese is the ideal grape that combines the elegance of Burgundy’s Pinot Noir and the tannic structure of Barolo. His winery makes six reds, including a blend of different Nerello Mascalese sites, and five single-vineyard Nerello Mascalese wines – Contrada Porcaria, Contrada Chiappemacine, Contrada Guardiola, Contrada Sciaranuova and Contrada Rampante. Volume for each single vineyard wine is between 2,000 and 3,000 bottles. 

Local Hong Kong wine importer L’Imperatrice hosted a private Domaine Sylvain Cathiard et Fils dinner at Épure restaurant, comparing two vintages of the estate’s top four cuvées  – Aux Murgers, Les Suchots, Aux Malconsorts, Romanee Saint Vivant.

Hong Kong’s leading wine importer Kerry Wines hosted a Spanish wine tasting at the eclectic China Tang restaurant inside Landmark in Central. A range of wines including Castell Sant Antoni, Paco & Lola, Izadi, Vetus, Torre de Oña, La Rioja Alta SA, Áster, Lagar de Cervera were on pour at the tasting.

A selection of Spanish wines hailing from Rioja and Barcelona through to Rías Baixas were poured at the Spanish wine tasting to demonstrate Spain’s diverse winemaking styles.

Kaiseki, the enduring Kyoto tradition of enjoying multiple courses of haute cuisine and the highest Japanese culinary art form, first made an impression in Hong Kong with the arrival of Wagyu Kaiseki Den by Lai Sun Dining in 2009, with the opening of Wagyu Kaiseki Den. The restaurant has now moved from its old Sheung Wan location to Wanchai after a complete makeover and a new name ‘Kaiseki Den by Saotome’. The Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant’s iconic 10-course menu begins at HK$2,080 (with +10% service charge).