The week in Pictures: Hong Kong

COFCO Wine & Wine is one of the biggest winners at our Drinks Business Asian Awards, taking home Fine Wine Retailer of the Year award and Man of the Year award. Click here to see all the winners and their profiles. Pictured here (from left to right): Patrick Schmitt MW, editor-in-chief of the drinks business; Ivy Ng, publisher of the drinks business Hong Kong; Castle Li, general manager of COFCO Wine & Wine and Great Wall; Natalie Wang, managing editor of the drinks business Hong Kong; Aline Bao, fine wine purchasing director of COFCO Wine & Wine; and Daniel Boland, commercial director of the drinks business Hong Kong. 

Didier Depond, president of Champagne Salon and Champagne Delamotte, was in Hong Kong to launch what he calls the “romantic” vintage of Salon 2006 with its local importer Altaya. After lunch, Didier signed the wine list for Gaddi’s restaurant inside The Peninsula.

The Drinks Business hosted a Santa Rita masterclass with the Chilean winery’s winemaker Sebastian Labbé, highlighting its iconic Caberent Sauvignon Casa Real with six vintages including: 1995, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2010, and 2012.

Pierre Legrandois, general manager of Links Concept, toasting to the 10-year anniversary of the collaboration between Louis Roederer and Links Concept at a dinner held at the Ritz Carlton. Cristal 2009 was on pour to mark the celebration, along with Louis Roederer brut and reds from Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2004 & 2007 and Reserve de la Comtesse 2011. 

Andrew Tierney, sales and export director of Torbreck; and Ian Hongell, chief winemaker of Torbreck, were in Hong Kong for a few tastings and dinners with clients and trade members in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The latest 2013 vintage of its most sought-after ‘Laird’, a single vineyard Shiraz from Barossa, will be released next June. Its current 2012 vintage has already been sold out, and the winery decided to forgo the 2014 Laird, because the quality is not up to the required standard, said Hongell. The four hectare single-vineyard is actually composed of two plots, the eastern side and the western side. The former produces brighter and fruitier wines and western side gets more sun exposure, according to Hongell. Torbreck’s wines are available through Links Concept.

Randy Ullom, winemaker of Kendall-Jackson, hosted a media luncheon at Beefbar on the sideline of the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair. The winemaker highlighted the Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, which has been ranked as the No. 1 selling Chardonnay in the US for the last 21 years.

Damien Grelat, Asia Pacific export director of Bordeaux’s third cru classe winery Château Palmer, hosted a wine dinner showcasing its grand vin 1991, 1996, 2000 and 2006 vintages and 2010 and 2015 vintages of its second label Alter Ego. Grelat revealed the latest 2017 vintage of this biodynamic winery suffered production loss like most wineries in Bordeaux due to the devastating April frost, losing roughly 40% of its crop.

In addition to wine, the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair had plenty of spirits and liquor producers at the fair, presenting their latest releases from China’s Baijiu producer Luzhoulaojiao to New Grove rum from Mauritius. The latter is represented by Herve Leroux, director of Sino Vantage Asia Ltd.

In a break from wine, a winery from Slovenia brought a mead to the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair. Made from honey this an historic drink that was once made widely across Europe and is currently undergoing a quiet revolution both there and in the US.

Ben Glaezer, owner and winemaker of Glaezer Wines, visited Hong Kong for the first time in five years and brought along exclusive library vintages of his flagship Amon-Ra wines from his personal collection. The wines were shown at a masterclass and wine dinner he hosted with local importer Kedington Wines. The wines presented included Glaetzer Wallace Shiraz Grenache 2015, Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2015, Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz Cabernet 2013, Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz 2015, Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz 2012, Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz 2009, Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz 2004.

Local importer Continental Wines has recently added New Zealand organic producer Greystone to its portfolio. The winery has recently gained an organic certification for their Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Commenting on the winery’s signature Sauvignon Blanc, its winemaker Dom Maxwell, said: “People understand and appreciate New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but increasingly, people are looking for different styles of wine from New Zealand and this is great for us a region.”

Sacha Lichine, owner of Château d’Esclans in Provence, hosted a Château d’Esclans & Whispering Angel 10th anniversary party with its local importer Jebsen Fine Wines at the Island Shangri-la. The vintner said Asia has become one of the company’s fastest growing markets, when interviewed by dbHK. He is pictured here with local celebrity, actor Bryant Mak.