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Slideshow
The week in pictures: Hong Kong
As the summer holiday comes to an end, Hong Kong’s drinks trade is buzzing again with masterclasses, wine competition and tastings. The dbHK team held the latest installment in our Asian Masters series, while Georgian producers, the Yquem team and Rémy Cointreau were all quick off the mark to start the autumn with tastings and new releases.
The Asian Syrah Masters competition organised by the drinks business Hong Kong kicked off at Hip Cellar last Tuesday with a panel of expert judges. They were (from left to right): Francesca Martin, founder and director of BEE Drinks Global; Ivy Ng, publisher of the drinks business Hong Kong; Jude Mullins, international development director of the WSET; Darius Allyn, Master Sommelier; Amanda Longworth, head of Marketing & Wine Services, Berry Bros & Rudd, Hong Kong; Eddie McDougall, The Flying Winemaker; Ying-Hsien Tan MW; Jennie Mack, co-founder of AWSEC. Close to 100 samples from various regions were blind-tasted and assessed for their quality in their respective price band. Stay tuned for the results.
Following the success of our Asian Cabernet Sauvignon Masters, Asian Chardonnay Masters and Asian Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc Masters, our latest Asian Syrah Masters shone a light on the spicy red grape that has travelled outside of its home in the Rhône to find fresh success in Australia, Chile, Argentina, and even Israel, where winemakers have crafted stellar and age-worthy Syrahs.
Some of the judges in a lighter moment before getting down to the serious business of judging.
An expert panel of judges at work assessing the quality of each sample. All the wines are judged in price bands and by whether they are a pure example of the variety or in a blend before the judges hand out a medal (or not), ranging from the highest accolade, a ‘Master’, to Gold, Silver and Bronze.
Debra Meiburg MW hosted a masterclass for Hong Kong’s wine trade on Georgian wines, showing a variety of indigenous white and red wine grapes including Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Kisi, as well as Saperavi and various wine styles from semi-sweet sparkling wine to Georgia’s own spirit called ‘Chacha’ and brandy.
Interest for Georgian wines is picking up in Hong Kong. More than 80 wines were poured at the Georgia Wine Festival held last Friday at Cordis Hotel in Mongkok.
Two other Master of Wines showed up at the Georgia Wine Festival including Liam Stevenson MW (centre right) and Peter Scudamore-Smith MW (far right) in addition to Debra Meiburg MW.
Kevin Ho (right), CEO of local importer Ghvino Ltd, chats to trade members about Georgian wines. His company has been importing Georgian wines for more than a decade to Hong Kong.
Hai Luen Trading Co, a Hong Kong-based company under the state-owned China Merchants Group, hosted a wine dinner showcasing how the 2008 and 2011 vintages of Château d’Yquem can be paired with Sichuanese food at Hong Kong’s eclectic Deng G restaurant. The company is a leading supplier of Chinese liquor to the Hong Kong market including Kweichow Moutai but also imports wines from France, Australia, Spain and the US, as well as from Chile and Canada for the local market.
Calvin Chen, representative of Rémy Cointreau, presented the ‘Rémy Martin X.O Cannes 2017 Limited Edition’ for the Hong Kong market. Only 300 bottles have been allocated to the Hong Kong market, the limited edition X.O is packaged in tribute to this year’s 70th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival.