dbHK to highlight Douro in first masterclass of 2016

the drinks business Hong Kong is kicking off 2016 with an exciting new masterclass series in Hong Kong, beginning with A Day in The Douro on 28 January.

Portugal’s famous Douro wine region

A Day in Douro encompasses three masterclasses that explore in-depth the styles and production techniques of Douro still and fortified wines, a grand tasting of over 30 Douro and Port wines from the wider portfolio of our sponsoring wineries, and a winemakers’ dinner with some prestigious bottles and a preview of wines new to Hong Kong.

The 1h 15min masterclasses will focus on:
1) Still wines of the Douro
2) Wood-matured tawny style Ports
3) Pottle-matured ruby style Ports

We will examine the range of styles, the winemaking techniques, the range of grape varieties, the soils and planting techniques, the climates and micro-climates, and the future direction of Douro wines and ports.

A gourmet dinner will follow the masterclasses, with fine Portuguese dishes created to pair with the wines and Ports.

All masterclasses will be moderated by Patrick Schmitt MW, Editor-in-Chief of the drinks business, with representatives – including Asia brand managers, proprietors and winemakers – from all our sponsoring wineries as speakers.

We are very proud to present the following five wineries as our sponsoring partners for this event:

João Portugal Ramos Family Estates: A family owned-group with five wineries in main wine regions of Portugal. Alentejo was the region elected to produce the first wines (including Marquês de Borba Reserva), followed by Tejo, Beiras, Douro and more recently Vinho Verde. The Douro winery “Duorum” produces high quality Douro wines, as well as ports, including a Vintage Port 2011 that was rated the best fortified wine at Wines of Portugal Challenge in 2013. Join us at the Grand Tasting and you can taste the Duorum Colheita 2013 which featured in Wine Spectator Top 100 wines in 2015. Speaker: Gonçalo Frey-Ramos, Asia Regional Manager, J. Portugal Ramos Family Estates.

Maritávora: Boutique winery with organic low-yielding vineyards and high quality production in Douro Superior, within the International Douro Natural Park, famous for mineral-laden white wines with great ageing potential and museum stock of vintage colheitas stretching to 1934. Speakers: Manuel Gomes Mota, Proprietor of Maritávora and Luis Capelo, Director of Maritávora Asia.

Sogrape: Portugal’s largest producer with production of 80 million bottles, with household brands such as Mateus and well-known Port brand Sandeman, and the first-ever iconic wine from the Douro, Casa Ferreirinha Barca Velha. Speaker: Jakub Wierzba, Director, Sogrape Asia Pacific.

Symington Family Estates: Family-owned Douro producer, leading vineyard owner in the region, owner of well-known port brands such as Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s, as well as at the forefront of Douro DOC still wines, such as the iconic red Chryseia – a joint venture with Bruno Prats from Bordeaux – and Altano brand; with innovation and sustainability in mind on a mission to preserve Douro traditions and to chart new paths. In 2014, both Dow’s 2011 and Chryseia 2011 bagged the 1st and 3rd positions, respectively, of Wine Spectator Top 100 wines in 2014. Speaker: Jorge Nunes, Asia Pacific Representative, Symington Family Estates.

Wine and Soul: The husband and wife winemaking team who through their passion have created a portfolio of widely acclaimed wines deserving of stellar critic ratings, including Pintas, a modern Portuguese garagiste wine based on very old vines, white wine Guru, from high altitude vines, 5G, a blend of 5 generations of colheitas, and the elegant Quinta da Manuella. Speaker: Jorge Serôdio Borges, Co-Proprietor and Winemaker.

The dinner will take place at Casa Lisboa restaurant, one of the most authentic Portuguese restaurants in Hong Kong. Executive Chef Edgar Alves shares his interpretation of authentic Portuguese cuisine with the food lovers of Hong Kong. Chef Edgar started his 18-year career at Hotel Pestana Palacio, a 5-star hotel, in Lisbon. He has also worked with Aime Barroyer, a Michelin-starred chef and the apprentice of Paul Bocuse, and has worked outside of Portugal as the executive chef at the Vila Verda and Kartoffelkaelderen. Chef Edgar was selected to represent Portugal in 2002, 2004, and 2008 to compete in the IKA Culinary Olympics, a renowned global culinary competition.

The details of the event are as follows:

Venues:
The Masterclasses and Grand Tasting – Club Lusitano, 27/F, 16 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
The Dinner – Casa Lisboa, 8/F, Lan Kwai Fong Tower, 55 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong

Schedule:
(Light refreshments will be served after the first 2 Masterclasses.)
Date: Thursday, 28th January 2016
· Still wines of the Douro – 1:00 – 2:15 pm
· Wood-matured tawny style ports – 3:15 – 4:30 pm
· Bottle-matured ruby style ports – 5:30 – 6:45 pm
· Cocktail Reception at Casa Lisboa – 7:15 pm
· Dinner Starts – 7:45 pm

Ticket Prices:
Individual Prices

■ Masterclass
HK$ 400 per person per class

■ Grand Tasting – Over 30 wines to taste
HK$ 200 p.p, with HK$ 100 creditable against wine purchase on the day

■ Dinner only
HK$ 950 per person

Package Prices

■ Package “Baixo Corgo”
Dinner + 1 Masterclass + Grand Tasting @ HK$ 1,450

■ Package “Cima Corgo”
Dinner + 2 Masterclasses + Grand Tasting @ HK$ 1,750

■ Package “Douro Superior”
Dinner + 3 Masterclasses + Grand Tasting @ HK$ 1,950

Tickets are limited for each masterclass and are only confirmed upon full payments. To register online and secure your tickets, please click here.

Any enquiries, please email: hk@thedrinksbusiness.com