In April 2007, I walked into a Wine Appreciation class, and that opened my heart to the world of WINE and started my journey in understanding wine. I was known as the Madam in class. Somehow the instructor and the people that attended the class thought I was a police officer, which is also known as Madam in Hong Kong. I loved the name because it sounded very authoritative!
I always enjoy wine but understanding the old world wine is always difficult. When I walked into a wine shop and stood in front of the France session, there are the different regions – Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone and so on. And then there are various towns within the region, but I still couldn’t figure out the grape varieties or if the price tag is reasonable. And then there is Italy, Spain… forget it!
Now, New World wine is a different story. Australian Shiraz, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley Merlot, these are all very clear. They are all labeled with the region and the grape variety. And it’s plain simple English that most people can understand and will remember!
The Wine course required a lot more work than I had ever imagined. But then memorizing the regions with their grape varieties is what made people think you are an expert. At least that’s what I think.
After taking the class, my husband and I were visiting my family in the States. There was a huge wine store near my family’s house. So I took the chance to put myself to the test – I strolled down to the Italy section and remembered Barolo from the class.
Barolo in the Italian world has the same status of Bordeaux in the French world. I rifled through the shelves and picked a bottle of 1998 Monprivato Barolo. The price tag was around US$40. I picked this wine because 1998 was a good ripe age to drink, plus the price tag was reasonable to me. I had absolutely no idea about the vineyard.
I opened the bottle and let it breathe for one hour in the basement, where the temperature is close to a wine cellar. My husband and I went down to the basement after dinner, ready to taste the wine.
The experience in tasting this Barolo is like watching a movie not knowing what to expect. But somehow it touched your heart and you felt so mesmerized at the end.
From the textbook, Barolo is made from Nebbiolo grape from the NW region of Italy – Piedmont. It is a full bodied, complex red wine. Nose and palate should have floral, red fruit, mushroom, tar, and leather. Piedmont is also famous for the very expensive truffles.
The first nose and palate, the floral and red fruit’s aroma rising from the rim of the bottle, left an amazing residue of taste. The final glass left a memory of its smell and taste of mushroom that is very unique to Barolo as it’s from the same region that truffles are grown. I didn’t really want to brush my teeth that evening, falling asleep with the taste still fresh in my mouth and memory!
After returning to Hong Kong, I have bought many Barolos but never had the chance to experience my first taste again. It took me a long time to find the same Barolo in Hong Kong. To be specific, I still had to ship it from Italy, which meant the price almost doubled.
When my husband and I opened the Barolo again in Hong Kong, we were so disappointed. It was nothing like what we tasted in US two year ago. I called the Wine Shop and the Wine Consultant, who told me that this Barolo has aged already and was ready for tasting the moment we opened it.
We opened another bottle and took the advice from the wine consultant and served the wine right away. It was not as powerful as the summer we first tasted it, but the floral and mushroom still stood out. Italian wines are made for serving with their regional cuisine, so Barolo is best serve with truffles. It is equally to par with mushroom based dishes. We had served it with mushroom pasta and baked Portobello mushroom sprinkled with truffle salt.
I have told my friends about this Barolo so many times over the years and they are all longing to try it. So far no one has been disappointed!
Grape Wine Journey 
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