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5 days ago
at every single tasting i have attended, someone has invariably asked "how long will this wine age?". considering that 90 percent of all wines will be drunk within 1 year of bottling, why even asked? it is an important question mind you but the answer is not all that simple. first, not all wines are made to be aged. second, not all grape varieties age at the same pace. third, each vintage, because of weather and other natural factors, yield different ripening levels that will affect the ageing potential of the wine/vintage. and last, there are many different reasons, all valid, why one would want to or not to age a wine - mainly to do with style and most importantly taste. in the old days, wines sold to overseas market were transported over long distances in wood barrels mainly because wood was widely available and it has excellent fluid retention qualities. the wines were mostly coarse and tough and it was discovered that the time spent during the voyage ...
7 days ago
"vous connaissez notre formule?" asked the person at the other end of the line, rather brusquely, "we only have one menu and it's 'prix-fixe'", he added before quickly hanging up. and so, the tone was set for was to be, surprisingly, a fantastic dinning experience at le chateaubriand... in fact, this "neo-bistro" is everything one can expect from a hip, up-and-coming restaurant in paris. it's cool, it's aloof, and its a real culinary treat. the service was suitably distant but mindful and clearly understanding that i was there for a culinary experience and made sure of it the whole evening. the menu is short (5-course), "fixe", and changes every day. each dish, carefully prepared by a team led by inaki aizpitarte (in photo), a basque native, was at every bite impactful, subtle and complex all at once. my main, simply listed as "tranche de boeuf, aubergine", was stunning. perfect "cuisson" and served on a bed of ...9 days ago
Come and join us for a series of classes designed to increase the pleasure we get from wine. In each, we will explore a different wine region, taste various of its best examples and learn about its geography, climate, key grape varieties and the various characteristics that makes each wines so different and so special. Each class can be taken on its own but throughout the whole series, participants will see themselves learning about the key concepts that influence wine quality and taste: 28 November 2009 - Languedoc Roussillon & Wine Tasting Techniques 12 December 2009 - Australia & The Influence of Oak 09 January 2010 - Rhone Valley & The Difference Between Old & New World Wines 23 January 2010 - Argentina & The Effect of Altitude on Flavours 06 February 2010 - Bordeaux & The Effect of Vintage Variation 27 February 2010 - Chile & Organic Wine Making Sessions will be held in the afternoon (14h00 to 16h00) and tuition is HKD 480 ...14 days ago
with the risk of being accused of simplism by wine snobs and the like, i have concluded, after much reading, tastings and late night reflections on the matter, that wine quality is derived from 3 simple concepts: fruit, terroir, and passion. fruit: as i have written here before, let's not forget that wine comes from grapes and that grapes are fruits. the riper and healthier the fruit, the better its quality and therefore, the better the resulting wine. now, the concept is a little more complicated than that of course, but at the end of the day, if the fruit is not ripe, or if it is not healthy, for sure the wine will reflects this and give all kinds of off smell and off odours which the wine makers will try to mask with tricks of the trade. quality fruits make the wine smooth and complex on the palate. terroir: people in the new world hates this word because first of all it is french, second, it is not translatable in 1 word, and third, new world wine makers make wines to ...
17 days ago
dining at broeding on my first night to munich was so good that i ended up returning on the last evening before flying back to hong kong - a big break to our rule of never dining twice at the same restaurant during the same trip. each time i am about to travel, i carefully plan where i will have my dinners and i even make reservations before leaving hong kong. and so, it is through the new york times website that i found broeding. the evening started pretty well. thanks to fantastic july weather, i was lead to their quaint little garden, served a crisp sparkling wine as aperitif, and received a full briefing of their fixed dinner menu. in fact, you go to broeding for what the chef (manuel reheis) will cook that night and there is no other choice except than to decide whether you will have 5 courses or if you will also have the cheese plate to make it a 6 course meal. the wine if left up to you but, as they specialise in austrian wines, no other region is available as ...
