During my time Asia, I have been blessed with a great group of great friends and colleagues who have been my “family away from home.” There are a large number of expats living in Hong Kong and China, and we all reach out for the same sense of familiarity to home, which not only gives us something in common, but also pulls us together. I can easily say that the holidays spent away from the USA have been the most adventurous (perhaps I should write a separate blog on holiday bloopers abroad). This year I was very fortunate to have spent the holidays with my entire family. Although there were not as many outrageous events as I have experience overseas, my family is quite colorful and I can say there were plenty of laughs, copious amounts of comfort food and a few decent bottles of wine.

We can all agree that every bottle of wine has a story and for some of us a special memory. My humble cellar holds a rather eclectic mix of wines that mark past wine trips, gifts, special events and indulgent visits to the wine store. One of my favorite memories consumed was a bottle of 2000 Domaine du Chay from the Cotes de Blaye. The wine showed exquisitely and I was very pleased we did not wait another year to pop the cork. The bottles was given to me by the generous owner/winemaker, an elderly gentleman who only had three or four teeth from what I remember. Hailing from an area of Bordeaux that is often overlooked, Blaye occupies the northern end of Bordeaux’s right bank, an area that produces lovely white and red wines at tremendous value. This elegant red brought back fond memories of my broken French and a lovely meal among French friends overlooking the citadel. It is these rather unknown bottles that are at times the most memorable and enjoyable.

Sitting at the airport observing all of the post holiday traffic, I reflect on my trip. Not once do I think about the tree, Christmas carols, presents, fireworks or holiday food and fuss. Instead, I think of the people, my surroundings and spontaneous silliness that each day brought. It is these intangible details that are truly special about being home for the holidays. Now that I am heading back to Hong Kong, I look forward to the many adventures of 2012. Happy New Year!

Last week my dear friend Emily, a woman of proper English descent, organized a Thanksgiving dinner to make me feel less homesick. More than just a celebratory meal, the event reminded me of what I love most about Thanksgiving, and that is declaring what we are thankful for. This year I was so thankful for Emily organizing a dinner of six people from America, New Zealand, England, Wales and Ireland at a French Brasserie in Hong Kong. It was warm enough to wear shorts, and I was without football. However, as everyone took their turn to declare their thanks for something, and it did get a bit sappy at points, I was reminded of what is so special about Hong Kong, an ultimate East-Meets-West universe where we’re all very different, yet so alike.

I regret to inform you that my friends refused to indulge me by performing Katy Perry songs together. Nor did they buy my explanation that Thanksgiving is the day when Europeans shower Americans with expensive gifts and praise. But perhaps new traditions were born. United by various bottles of Pinot Noir, we found common ground in need to express thanks. I suppose the more bottles we opened, the more thankful we became. The pie at the end was the gravy on top of a tremendous HK Thanksgiving.

Thursday, Chinese winemakers beat the French at their own game by winning the coveted award for best Bordeaux varietal at the Decanter World Wine Awards at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden. After years of producing millions of bottles of cheap “plonk” for supermarket shelves, a few Chinese producers have started invading the high end market. Winery He Lan Qing Xue’s Jia Bei Lan 2009 Cabernet blend was the wine of the night setting the record as the first Chinese wine to win such an international prize.

Jia Bei Lan, from the desert hills of Ningxia (Inner Mongolia) was tasted against other regional trophy winners from France, California, Australia, South Africa and South America and came out on top. Another winner was Domaine Helan Mountain from the western province of Xinjiang,  who took home a silver and bronze medal for its Classic Chardonnay and its Premium Collection Riesling, respectively. Most of the wines found in China are not made from local grape varietals but from French and German grapes owing to their global popularity. Having been fortunate to taste some of these wines, I can attest that there is tremendous talent and great potential in China, and I am so pleased to see these producers recognized at such a large scale.

Understanding China’s position in the wine market and their lack of wine laws makes these international achievements even more impressive.  Without boundaries and regulations, winemakers are left on their own to either look to European traditions or go with their own instincts and standard farming practices. For these few pioneers who have chosen the road of tradition and excellence are truly making a difference in the way the world views China and its wine.

There are many Chinese wines on the local market, and one must be choosy about which bottle to take for dinner. Aside from the wineries mentioned above, here are a few other gems  – Grace Vineyard’s Moscato Symphony, the Bordeaux blends Chairman’s Reserve and Deep Blue from Shanxi province and Silver Height’s Cabernet blend “the Summit” from Ningxia (Inner Mongolia).

Working in the beverage industry, I appreciate alcoholic beverages of all sorts — natural, fermented, brewed, distilled and infused. Although wine is my primary focus, I am very keen on other delicious beverages, Saké being one of them. As is the case with Marsala, Vermouth, Sherry and Madeira, I feel that Saké is widely misunderstood. It is not just a hot alcoholic beverage served at Japanese restaurants with California rolls and tempura; it is a unique beverage that can rival some of the world’s greatest wines (and spirits in certain instances).

Saké is a 7,000 year old beverage that is made from four key ingredients: rice, water, yeast and koji (an enzyme that converts starch into sugar, and imparts a distinct and unique flavor). Saké is essentially brewed like beer but the end product is served like wine, with tasting characteristics and alcohol content very similar to wine. I notice more and more drinkers are viewing Saké as another white wine, different from Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, or Riesling, but also having notable similarities and complementing a variety of foods and flavors.

There are over 12,000 different Sakés produced by 2,000 different Sakéries worldwide. While it was actually first created in China, it was later dramatically improved in Japan. Interestingly, Saké is now made in many countries around the world – the US (California & Oregon), Brazil, Australia, Vietnam, China, Korea and of course Japan. To fully understand Saké, you must be familiar with the main ingredients and production methods. Just as the best wine is made from excellent grapes, the finest Saké also starts with the finest premium ingredients – the purest water, high quality Saké rice, special yeast, and koji.

There are thousands of kinds of rice, but only about two hundred are suitable for premium Saké. Table rice does not make great Saké, just as table grapes make one-dimensional wines. Saké rice (Yamada Nashiki being the most popular) is brown short grain, almost round in appearance. The starches in rice, which provide the best flavors, are concentrated in the center of the rice grain, in what often looks like a white pearl. For premium Sakés, the outside of the grain, containing undesirable fat and proteins, which can deliver unpleasant flavors and aromas, is polished or milled away. This exposes the heart of the rice that contains the starch that will be converted to fermentable sugars, thus creating a creamier, sweeter wine.

Below is a simple list of vocabulary that decipher the grades and naming of Saké:

• Futsu-shu – is basically “normal Saké,” or Saké that does not qualify for one of the levels of classifications, similar to the “table wine” category.

• Junmai-shu – this term means that no distilled alcohol has been added. Only four ingredients are used; rice, water, koji and yeast. Until recently, at least 30% of the rice used for Junmai sake had to be milled away. However, Junmai no longer requires a specified milling rate. Nevertheless, the amount milled away must, by law, be listed somewhere on the label.

• Honjozo-shu –consider this a “fortified” Saké in wine-speak, the rice has been milled leaving 60-70% of the grain.

• Ginjo-shu – for this category of Saké at least 40% of rice polished away; with or without alcohol added; if bottle is labeled Ginjo, it means distilled alcohol was added; if labeled ‘Junmai’ Ginjo, it means no additional alcohol has been added.

• Daiginjo-shu The pinnacle of the brewers craft (and usually the most expensive), at least 50% of rice polished away; again with or without added alcohol; if bottle is labeled Daiginjo, it means distilled alcohol was added; if labeled ‘Junmai’ Daiginjo, it means no additional alcohol has  been added.

In pairing challenging food flavors with wine, Saké is always a safe bet as it is extremely adaptable to a variety of flavors and textures. So for those humble evenings where dinner consists of a hot dog or hamburger loaded with onions, pickles, relish, mustard and ketchup, leave the beer in the fridge and grab a glass of Saké!

Here are some of my favorite producers:  Kozaemon (Gifu prefecture), Hatsukame (Shizuoka prefecture), Kasumi Tsuru (Hyogo prefecture), Aiyu (Ibaraki prefecture), Tateyama (Toyama prefecture)

Kampai!

It is fair to say that the number one pastime in China is eating, and one of the best ways to show respect and build “guanxi” is the breaking of bread around the lazy susan. Back during the dynastic periods, dining etiquette was enacted according to a four-tier social strata, the most important being the imperial court; second, the local authorities; then trade associations; and lastly farmers and workers. Today, etiquette is simplified but still organized according to social rank. The most important or high ranking guests should sit on the right side of the host as it is considered the “superior” side; others will sit on the left or “inferior” side. Guests may not choose their own place at the table and are considered very rude if they take a seat before instruction. Instead, the host welcomes his or her guests and escorts each to their “assigned” seats.  If it is a business meeting, guests address themselves as Mr, Master or Doctor, according to their occupational titles. First names are rarely used as it is considered impolite.  Once introductions are completed, the guests are invited to sit.

Chinese banquets range anywhere from 10-12 courses, which include a series of cold cuts and appetizers, hot appetizers – usually some sort of signature dish, soup, poultry (usually pigeon or duck), an assortment of meat dishes, fish and other seafood, vegetables, fried rice or noodles and finally dessert. Diners must pace themselves over the dinner, for it is considered very rude to stop eating in the middle of the meal. As you may imagine, no one ever leaves a banquet hungry or with a plate empty. An empty dish in some cultures signifies that the dish was delicious and well received. In Chinese culture it means that there was not enough food. Warning, if you empty a serving plate thinking to be polite, another serving just may appear!

Drinking or toasting is an indispensible component of any Chinese banquet and it’s considered a social lubricant. Usually guests will have between 2-4 beverages at once – Wine and spirits as well as tea, soda and beer (used as chasers). Toasting is mandatory, and it’s always initiated by the host. When the host says the words “ganbei,” which means bottoms up (literally empty glass), all present should drain their glasses. Once the initial toast has been made, the remaining guests can toast the group or individuals as they choose (usually 15-20 more toasts take place over the dinner). Safe topics for toasts are friendship, health, pledges for cooperation, the desire to reciprocate the hospitality, and mutual benefit (avoid global politics). Interestingly, it is considered a courtesy for the host to get his guests drunk, which is not very difficult considering the strength of the spirits and number of toasts. And the only way to eliminate this drinking pressure is to inform the host before the dinner of an allergy to alcohol or a severe medical condition; otherwise this teetotaling could cause the host to become upset and be considered disrespectful. In order to create the best impression, go with the flow and follow the lead of the host.

Once the last dish is finished, the dinner has officially come to a close. The host will usually ask if every guest has had enough to eat, which is quite a silly question, to which they confirm with compliments. Depending on the success of the dinner, post-dinner activities may be suggested.  One must not underestimate the importance of participating in dining and after-dinner entertainment. Karaoke being one of the main forms of entertainment, it is an excellent way to build “guanxi” and work off a few of the calories that were consumed over feast. I will say from personal experience that these social gatherings can be quite intense and exhausting, but they’re also very rewarding when considering the friendships and business relationships that are built over such feasts.

Grower Champagne, also known as “farmer fiz,” can be identified by the letters R.M on the back label (R.M = Récoltant-Manipulant) noting that these farmers grow and produce Champagne from grapes grown only on their own estate. Many of the most famed Champagne houses (Moët, Mumm, and Bollinger to name but a few) purchase the majority of their grapes from farmers throughout the region and do not express a specific sense of place within Champagne. Although the bubbly wines are what make these farmers famous, it is the still wines that I find to be the most intriguing and mysterious. These bottles can be rather difficult to find, so when you do stumble across a good bottle, you can bet your sweet bippy that it will be a special experience.

For me, the highlights of the evening were the 1996 Andre Beaufort Ambonnay Grand Cru and the 2008 Egly Ouriet Ambonnay Rouge “Cuvée des Grands Cotes” (yes, they do make red wine in Champagne). As expected, the 1996 Beaufort was marvelous, but it was the young red Grand Cru that especially sparked my interest. Located in the small village of Ambonnay, Francis Egly owns approximately a mere 8 hectares of vineyards, the majority of which are in Ambonnay.  All of the vineyards are classified as Grand Cru and have the reputation for producing some of the best Pinot Noir based Champagnes, and in this case incredible stand-alone Pinot!  Most of the vines average between 30-50 years of age, which gives the wines gorgeous concentration and depth. Tasted blind, this Champagne had a nose that would have taken me to Grand Cru Burgundy; aromas of wild strawberry, sweet smoke, black cherry and earth rose from the glass, teasing my senses. Without getting too mushy, I will just tell you that it was a beautiful wine that came close to out-shining fellow Champagne superstars.

The menu was creatively paired showcasing traditional Cantonese preparations and a handful of exotic ingredients. Chilled abalone and sea blubber (otherwise known as jellyfish) were paired with Chartogne Taillet’s Blanc de Noirs, deep fried prawn coated with salted egg yolk with Ulysse Collin Extra Brut NV (a Jacques Selosse disciple), roasted goose webs Chiu–Chow style with the 2008 Egly Ouriet Ambonnay Rouge and finally “shark’s fin crystal extravagance” with the 1996 Andre Beaufort Ambonnay for dessert. I cannot properly describe this dessert, so I will let the picture speak for itself.

Hong Kong is full of constant surprises that make eating and drinking in this city always thrilling. It is inspiring how the community in Hong Kong embraces the celebration of wine and food no matter the form or flavor. It is an exciting time to be a part of the wine movement in Hong Kong, and I look forward to seeing further progression and expansion in the wine market. Grower Champagne wines have only recently made their entrance in Hong Kong and I am excited to see that will be next.

Danilo Nicoletti, General Manager of 8 1/2 (Otto e Mezzo) photo courtesy of: otto-e-mezzo.com

Danilo Nicoletti is General Manager of 8 1/2 (Otto e Mezzo, one of Hong Kong’s premier Italian restaurants.  Originally from Ventimiglia in Liguria, Italy, Danilo’s prior engagements at Domani and Ritz Carlton’s Toscana have made him an institution in Hong Kong fine dining. Moreover, Danilo has been instrumental in bringing wines from iconic Italian producers like Radikon, Gravner and Bea to his wine list. Danilo is without a doubt a leader in the HK Italian wine community.

What turned you on to a career in food and wine?

My father and uncle ran a small family restaurant in Ventimiglia, so it has always been a part of my life.  I attended school for maitre d’ training and service management, which also helped me to learn English and French.

What do you love about your job?

I love the opportunity to “change the weather.”  We can always manipulate our space and offerings so that every experience at 8 1/2 is a new and memorable experience.  It can be a new dish, artisan wine or serve—or we may add new art to the décor.  I love being on the scene every day

What to your thinking makes a wine program great?

It’s like making a great salad.  You always need your greens and can add interesting varieties of tomatoes and unique surprises like papaya.  Having the right selection in the best price points—for me it’s $600 – $1500 HKD ($75 – $200 USD)—will make the program most attractive.

How would you describe the Hong Kong wine scene to readers abroad?

Hong Kong is the door of Asia and it has taught me to have an open mind.  We have food and wine choices without constraint.  When I began in HK, my vision as a GM had to change from selling only food and wine.  I see how we have to find other sources, like ambiance, service, furnishings and artwork to wow our guests.  In HK it’s very important particularly, for many guests prefer to bring their own wines to restaurants.

What’s your ultimate food and wine pairing?

I have a French culinary background, so simple fresh bread, beef Bourgogne and Burgundy is best for me.  I recently have been enjoying Domaine de la Vougeraie.  If I go white, I will favor something Italian, like a Ribolla from Friuli’s Collio region.  Radikon is a personal favorite.

What advice would you offer for someone considering a career similar to yours?

Do it with heart and common sense.  You cannot learn passion.  Be friendly to everyone, and on Sundays be sure you’re wearing tee shirt, shorts and sandals to relax

As the Italian wine aficionado in attendance, I felt some pressure to identify which wine was from Italy with just a one-in-eighteen chance.  Using a bit of deductive reasoning, I figured that the final flight of six wines would feature the five first growths and another non-Italian.  This meant I probably had a one-in-twelve chance to guess right in the first two flights.  I further assumed the wine would come from a popular Italian producer who was likely to appear at an auction. I also knew that most of the wines would be rather new to me, so simply choosing the most familiar terroir was my best bet; however, in our world of internationally styled wines, this determination becomes increasingly difficult every day.  In the end all my reasoning was for nothing; I mistakenly selected a Chateau Montelena Cabernet as the Italian. (I was thinking Gaja Sperss at first sniff, but after twenty minutes, I was quite certain it was Sassicaia.)  Much to the delight of my fellow guests, the next wine was an Ornellaia, and I had botched it by guessing it was from Napa.  I suffered little good-natured ribbing and we moved on.

There were other mysteries that swirled around first growths, in particular Chateau Lafite.  If a big Bordeaux collector were to identify Lafite as his least favorite, it might have caused a very uncomfortable scene for both guest and host.  What if a big auction buyer of Lafite would now identify this wine as his least favorite?  Would it matter?  Fortunately, Lafite placed a comfortable third in its round, showing quite nicely.  Neither selected as anyone’s favorite or least favorite, Lafite’s result was very politically correct, and I was somewhat relieved for everyone.

I was also concerned how the non-French wines would be perceived by the group, and the result was even better than I’d expected.  In fact, Ornellaia, Harlan, Penfolds Grange, and Kapscandy (the only 2006 vintage selection) all placed in the top three of their respective flights.  And outside of Haut Brion’s overall triumph, it was wines like Pichon Baron, Chateau Palmer and Chateau L’Elgise Clinet that showed exceedingly well on this night.

So what did I learn? Experiencing wines without brand bias truly breaks us all down and frees us to better connect with the wine part of the wine.  But we need the right atmosphere and company to comfortably throw away any worry of breaking social norms.  At this event I found some personal consistency in my own taste, a renewed desire to return to Napa, and also a need to devote more time understanding Bordeaux.  Finally, I wondered how I could be more effective in creating opportunities like this in Hong Kong for those wine-lovers looking to make their own unbiased personal connections.  Stay tuned to see what we come up with.

As the house band started playing its repertoire of mostly Eagles ballads, we sat back and enjoyed a few finer Champagnes. The set list picked up, and the growing bass thrummed in sync with our move into a deeper Bordeaux. A well-timed guitar solo found me taking longer with each sip and blocking out everything but the Fender Stratocaster and Château Lascombes. The evening concluded, I returned to earth, and I filed this epiphany in the back of my mind; however, not long after, another music/wine synergy occurred.

“Lover You Should’ve Come Over,” the seventh track off of Jeff Buckley’s album Grace was playing in my apartment. I had a glass of Josko Gravner’s 2002 Ribolla Anfora in hand and was sipping. It felt as if the wine transformed into Buckley’s voice in amber, liquid form. Gravner’s wine has often struck me as artistic: fully alive, ever-evolving and somehow always striking the right chord. Like Gravner’s wine, Buckley’s voice is unfiltered and pure. I’ve never heard another singer pull off this song like Buckley, and I can’t help but note that there is only one Gravner.

Finding common threads in music and wines is easy if you think about your favorites. But having it occur spontaneously—and being perceptive enough to notice when it does—is an unexpected reward and an infinite pleasure. And if you do have a wine pairing for Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” or Pearl Jam’s “Black,” I’d love to know.

With no existing following in HK, my challenge became how to properly introduce an $1800 HKD wine like the 2002 Brunello Riserva.  Furthermore, the Soldera Brunellos don’t look like other Brunellos.  I was happy to discover the power of tastings, and HK has embraced the wines of Soldera. Monica’s first visit to Asia was a perfect opportunity for producer and wine-lovers to get to know one other properly, and over the past year, we’d built up enough intrigue and positive experiences that Monica’s visit to Hong Kong in May brought four consecutive sold-out events during VinExpo week.

The most notable aspect of Monica’s visit was her grace and her refreshing approach to introducing the wines of Case Basse.  While she is an encyclopedia of wine facts, Monica was casual and disarming—a perfect demeanor for VinExpo, because the week had overwhelmed everyone with a deluge of wine facts and bold statements. The Soldera dinners centered on spending time with each wine individually so that we could see how nature guided the family’s winemaking and gave each wine its own personality.  Monica was able to make each wine seem like a guest of honor, allowing us to refrain from feeling a need to make any immediate judgments about anything.  She took the competitive nature out of the tasting experience and created a light atmosphere to simply enjoy each other’s company and to get to know one other better.

Monica’s Hong Kong visit was so exciting that each event deserves its own description, which I’ve provided below.

Tuesday 25 May – Otto e Mezzo

This event was a no-brainer, because it matched Monica with HK’s celebrated Italian Chef Bombana, esteemed GM Danilo Nicoletti, a gorgeous private room for twenty, and a wonderful group.  The food and wine were out of this world.  I hardly had to work. I simply gave Danilo and Bombana the wine list, and they agonized over the proper menu, updating it just days before the dinner in order to perfect it.  Tajima Beef Tongue on Brunello and Mushroom Risotto paired with a 2003 Brunello Riserva Soldera thrilled us, but we still had the 2002 and 1983 Brunellos ahead of us. It was as if none of us could fathom better food or wine, yet we kept going.  Before the night had ended, the restaurant asked Monica to sign two remaining magnums of 1983 Brunello for their own collection; they’re now proudly part of a very impressive large format collection.  Overall, this evening was a perfect start to our week, and Monica knew where she could get incredible Italian food if she got homesick.

Wednesday 26 May – Crown Cellars

We held a small gathering in the Crown Library that was co-hosted by Hong Kong’s ultimate host, Greg De’eb.  It was a far cry from last year’s event with Movia’s Ales Kristancic, “Marvelous Night for a Moon-dance,” which featured bottles opened under a full moon, ballroom dancing and swordplay.  However different the events, our guests received the same experience in the end: an understanding of the wine through the personality of the producer.  Each wine was tasted together, side-by-side, throughout the meal.  This format allowed us to feel all the wines evolve simultaneously over the course of hours.  By this point in VinExpo, most attendees had been to two wine dinners already in the week, and the casual atmosphere—a Monica Soldera staple—and Soldera’s wines of finesse put some life back into our group as we all prepared for the rest of the week’s events.

Thursday 27 May – The China Club

When we host our producers in HK, we like to throw at least one event where we pair Italian wines with Asian cuisine.  I always rave about the quality of service at The China Club, and in my last post I’d noted that they’d hosted a staggering number of wine dinners during VinExpo.  Sadly, and I mean sadly, I couldn’t attend this dinner, but the feedback from attendees was consistently great. Soldera’s wines paired surprisingly very well with a number of local dishes and showed great versatility.  A number of guests reported that their bodies were wearing down from intense eating and drinking during the week, some reported that they should have taken a night off from the events, but those who were there said they couldn’t miss the Soldera night at The China Club.  Monica was very pleased to have the opportunity to host a dinner with Chinese cuisine, and she was delighted to pass the Chinese cuisine test, a prerequisite for success in the new Hong Kong market.

Friday 28 May – Don Alfonso

My colleague Christina escorted Monica by helicopter to Macau to start the day.  However, I, being more afraid of heights than any man should be, was happy to take the boat and sleep on the way to our last day of meetings and events.  Our evening at the stunning Don Alfonso in Grand Lisboa began with a very pleasant surprise—Chef Alfonso himself would be attending the dinner as a guest.  As with the staff of Otto e Mezzo, Chef Alfonso and his restaurant team hold Soldera wines with high regard and worked hard to create a truly special experience for all of us who were lucky enough to attend.  Don Alfonso’s perfect pairing of 1983 Brunello from magnum with Wagyu beef tenderloin and puffed spaghetti (it’s beyond description) was almost a shame to consume.  But we did anyway, and it was amazing.

To paraphrase Monica’s father, Gianfranco, a great wine is one that you miss immediately after you’ve finished it.  I missed the Soldera dinners the moment we left Don Alfonso. After an exhausting week and non-stop events, I take that to be a testament to Soldera.

VinExpo was a crazy blast of too much food, so much wine and an avalanche of new friends. Two weeks later, I’m only just beginning to recover. Naturally, I look forward to doing it all again next year.