Posted in Champagne, Wine Tour on September 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »
What do you know about Dom Perignon? Well, before my visit to Champagne, I knew he was the monk that perfected the production of Champagne and his name stands for the premium brand of the Champagne House Moet Chandon.
The tour at Moet started with a short video on the history of the Champagne House, then it’s the visit to the biggest cellar in the world – 28km in total! It was dark and wet with many endless tunnels leading to who knows where. (more…)
Posted in Wine Tastings, Wine Tour on October 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »
It was almost a year ago that I started this blog, looking back now and thinking if anything has changed since then ?! Where has the journey taken me …..
It all started because I wanted to share my passion on wine, then I realized how little I know about wine. I was trying hard to write about topics that people will enjoy, then I realized it has to be something that I found interesting in the first place. (more…)
Posted in Bordeaux, French Red, Wine Tastings, Wine Tour, tagged Bordeaux, Chateau Pichon Lalande, French Red on July 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Morning Mist
Bordeaux in June, what was it like? It was cool in the morning and hot in the afternoon, the perfect micro climate that vines thrive for.
The blue sky was exactly what I remembered as last summer. This time, instead of joining a tour, I wrote to a few vineyards ahead of time and confirmed private tours & tastings at 4 vineyards – Ch Haut Brion, Ch Palmer, Ch Pichon Lalande & Ch Lynch Bages. (more…)
Posted in Italian Wines, Restaurants, Wine Tour on June 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Slow Food University
Chef's Hand
When we walked out from Guido, the Michelin 1 star restaurant in Piemonte, it was dark; the air was fresh and crisp, the stars were bright … and I was thinking “how much is a Michelin star worth?”
Guido is on the grounds of the Slow Food University. The ambience was sort of like a barn, with high ceiling, brick wall and wooden floor. The décor was quite simple but functional. (more…)
Posted in Italian Wines, Wine Makers, Wine Tour, tagged barolo, Wine appreciation on June 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Maria Teresa Mascarello in the cellar
There are the traditionalists, and there are the modernists. In Piemonte, this holds true for the 7 vineyards we visited. Aldo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa and Bartolo Mascarello are no doubt the traditionalists.
Of the three, the visit at Bartolo Mascarello marked a very strong impression on me. Probably because the wine maker and owner was a woman – Maria Teresa Mascarello, daughter to the late Bartolo Mascarello. (more…)
Posted in Wine Tour on June 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Sunset at Piemonte
Maybe it’s the blue sky, the orange backdrop at sunset, the picturesque landscape, the passionate Italians …. somehow before I knew it, I had slowed down and appreciated the Italian lifestyle. As our tour guide Anna Maria told us on the first day,” Relax and enjoy the sweet life, Dolce Vita! (more…)
Posted in Italian Wines, Wine Makers, Wine Tour, tagged Barbaresco, barolo, Gaja on May 30, 2010| 1 Comment »
“80% of our production is for exports, and the 20% that we sell in the domestic market is consumed by visitors like you.” That probably set the stage for the visit at Gaja in the heart of Barbaresco.
We were greeted by Alexandria, the guide at Gaja at a small but cozy waiting area. When we were walking down to the cellar, she said in a very polite manner, “Please don’t take any photos in the cellar, but you could in the building after the visit.” (more…)
Posted in Italian Wines, Wine Makers, Wine Tour on May 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Massolino, the first vineyard we visited on the Piemonte wine tour. Franco Massolino, the very charming wine maker and owner, was waiting for us at the gate. He greeted us individually and apologized for the construction work that’s going on. He said next year, at around this time, there will be a proper tasting room for guests. I laughed and said in Hong Kong, we cannot wait for 1 year. (more…)
Posted in Italian Wines, Wine Makers, Wine Tour on May 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Piemonte
My heart fell for Barolo when I tasted a bottle of 98’ Montprivito, and it was 3 years ago in Washington DC. The floral, smoke, cherry aromas were so unique and amazing and I started my quest in understanding Italian wines.
My quest now takes me to the home of Barolo – Piemonte, Italy. It’s a guided wine tour in the area for 5 days organized by Italian Wine Merchants. The group is quite small, by Hong Kong standard – total of 9 people. We are here because we all love wines, more so for some. (more…)
Posted in Wine Makers, Wine Tour, tagged Napa Valley, Sterling Vineyard, wine on December 12, 2009| Leave a Comment »
As Christmas is around the corner, there are many wine tastings in town in celebration of the holiday.
I went to a Christmas tastings at the American Club this week. There were around 50 wines on display. The one wine that caught my attention was not because of its value or style, but the memory it brought…. (more…)
Grape Wine Journey 