Wednesday, 1 January 2014

TOP 5 Suggestions to get "YOU" started on Appreciating Wines!

Let’s face it, wines is not an ordinary beverages and to be able to appreciate wines can seems to be a tedious and daunting thing to do but I can assure you it is not as difficult as it seems to be, I think a lot of people find it hard is because they don’t know where to start…. Well, we must begin somewhere so here are my TOP 5 suggestions to get you started on the world of wines.

No. 1 Wine Tasting Sessions
WW Wine Warehouse




Claim to be the largest wine shop in Malaysia which has more than 2400 square feet of wine displays and accommodates more than 20,000 bottles of wines from Australia, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Chile, USA, Argentina, and South African countries.  WW Wine Warehouse offer more than 400 kinds of wines and imports a wide selection of champagne, red wine, white wine, sweet and dessert wine from over 50 labels.

Every month, WW Wine Warehouse would be featuring wines to be sampled and tasted. The Good news is the session is FREE!

Recent wine tastings features
Red Wine Labels:
 Goldridge Merlot (New Zealand)
 Schild Estate Merlot (Australia)
 Danzante Merlot (Italy)
White Wine Labels:
 Solo Chardonnay (France)
 Jean Leon Chardonnay (Spain)
 Albizza Chardonnay (Italy)
For more information on Wine Tasting dates, you can get in touch with WW Wine Warehouse or feel free to like them on their Facebook page

WW Wine Warehouse
10, 1 Puchong Business Park, Off Jalan OP, Off Jalan Puchong, 47100 Selangor, Puchong, 47100 Selangor
47100, Malaysia


Get direc
+60 3-8076 1080


 
 Nam Lee Cheong

If you more keen on trying out old world wines such as the French, Italian or Spanish wines, then the place to head on to would be Nam Lee Cheong. Established since 1946, they are the oldest homegrown importers of fine wines.
Wine tasting sessions are held average of 3 times a month ranging from weekdays and weekends.  Wine tasting time is usually set from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm
However RSVP would be required. Please feel free to RSVP with Ms Tan @ 03-21413177
Nam Lee Cheong Sdn. Bhd.
 44-1, Jalan Sultan Ismail,
 50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.
 Tel: 603 21413177
 Fax: 603 21445818
No. 2 Wine Showcases
Another way of tasting wines for free from different origins and get a good deal out of it if you decide to buy a bottle or two would be attending showcases.
Check out
Malaysia International Food & Beverage Trade Fair (MIFB)
 
 
 
2013 was their first year having a dedicated wine session; we hope to see this feature again next year
Taste Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF)
 






A showcase where you get to taste food by purchasing food tokens and attend free Epicure Lifestyle Workshops
Malaysia’s Official Food & Wines Show 2013 (FHM)


Last year, we had the privilege to taste wines from various origins
FHM is usually bigger than MIGF while this year MIFB has allocated a session dedicated to wines participated by a handful number of wine industry players.  My personal favorite is still MIGF as it is mostly held in Sunway Convention Centre which is a more convenient location for me than the other mentioned above.
No.3 Wine Dinner
 
                                       Gusto! ItalianWine Appreciation Dinner @ Tujo Bar-sserie & Grill
Wine Dinners are held extensively throughout the year by various wine importers at various locations. My suggestion would be to attend wine dinner based on your preference on food. For example, if you like Italian food, it makes perfect sense to attend a Wine Dinner which features Italian cuisine. This is really a shortcut to learn the food pairing as well as getting to know the wines in more specific manner such as type of grapes, vintages as well as famous wine regions of the particular country. However, if you are more adventurous, why not try some fusion food with wines. I have heard of bird nest with wines! In addition, if you would like to taste wine from combination country or regions, do attend wine dinner organized by Independent Association such as SOMLAY.
If you wish to be part of the wine dinner offers list, do drop me an email with your contacts and I would be able to hook you up with some of the wine dinner organizers.
P/S-You would automatically be notified on their stock clearance as well! Great,Right?
No.4 Wine Classes & Wine Seminar
Now if you are getting serious on learning wines be it the basics of knowing the grapes, regions, vintages to the more complex wine pairing or even examination for qualification as a Sommelier, have a lookout for classes or seminar organized by
Wine Daddy
1 hour theory, 2 hours tutored tasting, held on weekends

 
 
 
 
 
Entwine
As a niche food & beverage industry focused consultancy and business solutions provider. Their services encompass specific industrial skills training (wines,spirits, cigars, tea, coffee, overall service etiquette), themed gastronomic appreciation sessions for private and corporate clients, brand / marketing product segmentation and focused media service. Entwine offers both seminars and professional courses which encompassed uette), themed gastron
omic appreciation

CIVB Official Bordeaux Wine Experience (if you like Bordeaux Wines :)
L’Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux (The Bordeaux Wine School) was created by the Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) in 1990 with the aim of bringing a better understanding of Bordeaux wines to professionals and enthusiasts around the world! It sets the groundwork for all wine lovers to explore their own ways of enjoying the huge variety of Bordeaux wines, tasting the joyful moment and the different sensations brought by the wide range of wines from the wine capital of the world!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIVB Official Bourgogne Wine Experience
Bourgogne Initiation Sessions
Session duration: 90 minutes
Individual introductory sessions on the many facets of Bourgogne, from its rich history, mosaic of terroir, expression of the varietals via its sub regions, to the myriad of wine characteristics and classifications. Pick your area of interest and be enriched! Among the initiation session themes:
i. Discovering Chablis
ii. The wine characteristics and classifications of Bourgogne : climats and lieu-dits
iii. Côte de Nuits initiation
iv. Côte de Beaune initiation
v. Côte Chalonnaise & Macon initiation
Now if you are really serious, get yourself certified!
Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW)
The Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) is an international certification offered by the Society of Wine Educators. It recognizes a high standard of academic wine knowledge and the mastery of key elements within the world of wine via this comprehensive program. Successful candidates are entitled to add the appropriate post-nominal to their vocational signature, a valuable credential and respected mark of a wine professional’s commitment to personal career development and ultimately to the wine industry as a whole.
For more information you can always pay a visit to Entwine website as per below:-
No. 5 Wine Club
However if you wish to be kept in the wine scene more often than going for wine dinners but not as keen in going for classes or seminar, my recommendation would be to join a wine club.
There a handful in the market which offers various packages and prices but here are some of the Wine Clubs which catches my eyes…
Wine Club by Wine Talk



 
 
 
Launched with the motto “The first of its kind in Malaysia”, Wine Club has no sign up fee and best of all there is no membership fee! That means you only pay for wines sent to you!
That’s not all, they are able to offer:-
* No delivery fee for Klang Valley delivery where it is cases of 6 or 12
* One to one replacement if you don’t love the wines picked for you
*If you are able to find the wine cheaper in Peninsular Malaysia within 14 days, they would refund the difference
To summarized it, do have a view at the video presentation by Mr David Stephan’s below titled none other as Wine Talk Wine Club-The 1st of its kind in Malaysia
For more information on Wine Talk, please feel free to visit their website below:-
6 Degrees Horizon Wine Club




 
sessions for private and corporate clients,
brand / marketing product segmentation
and focused media servic


The brain child of Mr. Kenneth, he came back from Hong Kong approximately less than 1 year ago and found out that the Malaysia wine drinking scene seems have been stereotype as a luxury indulgence. Not only that, he noticed as well that when it comes to chilling or dining out, Malaysia has a tendency to order liquor, spirits or beer to wine. His reason on choosing wine is that wine selections are endless compared to the number of liquor, spirits and beers as it is apparent that even wines from the same winery taste differently each year depending on the quality of harvest. Hence he has a vision to promote wines as not only as an affordable beverage to enjoy but it is something that you would never get bored with.  Therefore, Mr Kenneth makes it a point to hold wine tasting at a price range of not more than MYR 200.00 per pax per event.
So joining in 6 Degrees Wine Club is as easy as a click of a button and it is FREE! All you have to do is just to LIKE them on their FACEBOOK page and you would be kept posted on their upcoming events. J Simple and Sweet! 
There you have it, the above are my Top 5 suggestions to get started with Wines, I bet there are a lot more other suggestions that you may have experienced. Do feel free to share on the comments below. Oh Well, if all else fails..May I suggest “hooking” up with a Sommelier? *LOL* Have a “Wine”derful 2014 ahead!



 

Friday, 16 August 2013

McGuigan Wines MasterClass @ The Westin

Fresh back from the Hari Raya holidays, an opportunity to attend a MasterClass couldn't be of a better timing. Organized by Sommelier Association of Malaysia, the Master for today is none other than Mr Neil McGuigan, the winemaker of McGuigan Wines. With over 30 years experience in the wine industry, he is renowned as an innovator in the field of Australian wines. Holding firm to his tagline "Wine is the Hero", He is the first winemaker in the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in 44 years history to win International Winemaker of the Year and Australian Producer of the Year for 3 times.

 
Held in evening of 14th August 2013, we were given  chance to taste 9 different types of wines which can be broken down to:- 
 

          The WhiteWines
          McGuigan Black Label Sauvignon Blanc 2012
           McGuigan Expressions Pinot Grigio 2012
           McGuigan Founders Pinot Gris 2012
         McGuigan Shortlist Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2011



           The Red Wines
           McGuigan Private Bin Shiraz 2012
            McGuigan Founders Cab Shiraz 2011
           McGuigan Shortlist Barossa Valley GSM 2011
       McGuigan Handmade Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2009
           McGuigan Farms Shiraz 2009
 



Among the first few questions, Mr Neil open to the class was what is the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris. The answer was that Pinot Grigio is an Italian variety grape while Pinot Gris is a French variety grape. They may sound familiar but Pinot Grigio wines are lighter than Pinot Gris due to the duration  of oxidation process. McGuigan Expressions Pinot Grigio 2012 is oily with pear aroma and is slightly pinky. According to Mr Neil, an A grade wines should fulfill the criteria in flavor, aroma and longetivity. As for McGuigan Founders Pinot Gris 2011 it is known as the mini chardonnay with musky, oaky, chewy and has more acidity. McGuigan Shortlist Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2011 on the other hand is known as the Prince of white grape variety as it consists of Chardonnay. Classified as a cool climate grape variety, the chardonnay of McGuigan Wines are harvested from the coolest region of chardonnay-Adelaide Hills.
 


Coming to the red wines, Mr Neil mentioned that wines are supposed to be taken with food and this is especially true for the red wines we are tasting. We started off with McGuigan Private Bin Shiraz 2012 and is such a lovely soft approachable red wine which Mr Neil term it as 5 o'clock wines :) as it has low tannin with soft peppery. For wine no. 6, Mcguigan Founders Cab Shiraz 2012, it is definitely a well balanced wine as it has a good fleshy palate with lovely warm tannin which finishes with acidity. McGuigan Shortlist Barossa Valley GSM 2011 which consists of 3 grapes blends namely  Grenache - Mourvedre - Syrah caught us by surprise as it has a lingering effect on the palate! It is really rare and I indefinitely find it amazing!! However, the wine which made the biggest impression on me is none other than McGuigan Handmade Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2009, it actually taste a bit salty and you can taste almost no tannins! This is amazing as the wine are 4 years old! and it doesn't stop there..each time you take another sip, a different aroma and palete appears, it started of with blackcurrant then a bit buttery, it turns to spicy and then salty. It is as though the wine is evolving in the glass ..Wow! I can't wait to see what would this wine evolve to in another 2-3 years more.
 Mr. Neil Mcguigan & I
 
A handful of the wines we tasted today had yet to hit Malaysian shores and I would look forward to the wines when it does. Cheers!

McGuigan Wines
Hunter Valley Cellar DoorCorner Broke & McDonalds Roads
Pokolbin NSW 2032
Ph: +61 (0)2 4998 7402
 
Barossa Valley Cellar Door (Yaldara)Hermann Thumm Drive
Lyndoch SA 5351
Ph: +61 (0)8 8524 0225
 
 

Saturday, 3 August 2013

Clarendelle Wine Tasting@ South Sea Seafood Restaurant

 
 
Clarendelle Rouge 2007 & Clarendelle Blanc 2011
Held on a public holiday 26th July 2013, Clarendelle or much popular known as Clarence Dillon Wines came together with South Sea Seafood Restaurant to host this French Seafood Affair Wine Tasting. Clarendelle is a bordeaux wine brand launched by Clarence Dillon Wines established in Bordeaux since 1935

 
We were honored that day to have Mr Alexi Daste, South East Asia- Pacific Export Manager to talk about more on the wines. Unlike other days where we are usually tasting 4-5 wines. We would only be tasting 2 wines, one red and one white. Even more unusual Mr Alexi started out with the red, Clarandelle Rouge 2007 first which is pretty unusual as we always starts with the white. :)
 
Clarendelle Rouge 2007
Being a Bordeaux red blend it is with no doubt blended from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc. Unique to Clarendelle is cigar and tobacco aroma on the nose which to me is considered heavy but yet on the palate, the taste profile is beautifully soft and subtle with smooth tannin. One of the reason that is well balance as I believe the wine is currently at its peak now as it is a 6 years old wine. This is trully a gem as most wines would have way pass their peaks in such durations.
 
Clarendelle Blanc 2011
Blended from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle,  Clarendelle Blanc has the aroma of beewax and honey. Citrus aromas such as lemons, lime and candied oranges are also noticeable in both aroma and on the palete. Worth to note that Muscadelle rarely makes up 10% of the blend but Muscadelle is the grape which carries the candied oranges aroma apart from the floral notes of the wines. Use widely in Bordeaux white blend, Muscadelle is also known as Raisimotte & White Angelica.
 

    South Sea Signature Tapas- Cheese Baked Oyster, Spicy Jelly Fish & Scallop with Crab Meat
 Various comdiments to kick start your taste bud ranging from Goat Cheese, Olives & Blue Cheese!

Sorry guys I can't help but to post this photo, the seahorse and puffer / balloon fish plays significant roles in breathing and decanting the wines. Thumb ups to the designer who made such innovative design! I realy like it a lot!

 
Mr Alexi Daste of Clarence Dillon Wines & I
 
Mr Alexi is such an informative guy and one of the unforgetabe piece of information shared which started out with a question " Why do we cheers when we drink wine? " and notice how people of Medieval time especially kings and knights cheers with force till the liquid would spill out of the mug or glass? The answer was that back then the usage of poisons were wide spread and in order to ensure that the wines I'm drinking is not poisonous, it is always safe to cheers till the wine can mix with the cheering partner glass! CHEERS!
 

 Clarence Dillon Wines
Pavillon Dillon-3, Rue Avison-33400 Talence-France

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Wine Dinner @ Madisons Restaurant, Jalan Bangkung

 


I had always love MADISONS so when I was given a chance to taste the food again, I had immediately jump up on both of my feet. :) after all it was going to be on an eve of public holiday, 25th July 213 to be exact. This dinner would trully be an Australian affair as this time round, the wine featured would be none of than Shinas Estate located in Victoria, Australia a handcrafted Wine Estate well known for The Executioner.

 
Now, what does handcrafted meant? well as the word "hand" is there ..yes it is similar to handmade :) so being manually done, the production of the wines are extremely less. For the Excutioner, the production is only around 750 cases and Shinas Estate export at least to 10 different countries, so all wines are on allotment basis.

Also worth mentioning that Mr George Shinas is indeed a justice for 10 years now. Hence, Shinas Estate wines tasted on the night includes Sweet Justice, The Innocent, The Guilty and The Verdict apart from The Executioner. Wines named in a very Justice manner..cool!
 
 
 
 Shinas Estate Sweet Justice Moscato 
The latest addition to Shinas Estate Boutique Wine Collection and it has a sweet and low alcohol characteristics. Perfect to be enjoy on any occasions and time. Just remember to make it super chill then it would be super yummy :)
 
 
Shinas Estate Innocent Viognier
Viognier grapes are extremely challenging on Australian soil and hence harvest may not be good each time resulting in the reduction of final yield making the wine volume allocated to each country is reduced tremendously. Hence it is considered lucky that this time around, I'm able to taste The Innocent. This wine in particular carries with it the apricot, melon and honey aromas with surprisingly a light spicy flavours.


Selection of Canapes to go with Shinas Estate Sweet Justice Moscato


          Selection of Canapes to go with Shinas Estate Innocent Viognier
         My personal favourite canapes is the juicy seafood..Delicious!



Shinas Estate Guilty Shiraz 
This is certainly the most flavorful Shiraz I had ever tasted, the aromas and pallete combination is complex yet elegant. It is ripe shinny blackberry red in colour with voluptuous cherry, vanilla, a hint of peppery spice packed with smoky vanillin oak, cherry and strawberry fruits, Chocolate & Mocha wrapped in velvety smooth package.  
 
 Shinas Estate Verdict Cabernet Sauvignion
The Verdict for Verdict- The palate starts with ripe blackberry follow with Roasted beetroot compliment by savoury tabacco leaf, leather and toasty nutmeg


           Tufted duck liver and chicken liver pate, served with Chianti jelly, roasted beetroot and baby pears with  Shinas Estate Guilty Shiraz


      Tortellini of Suckling Pig with Shinas Estate Verdict Cabernet Sauvignion

 
   Shinas Estate Executioner  (far end right)
A blend of Shiraz 55% , Cabernet Sauvignion 43% and Viognier 2% It has an extremely light yield and The Executioner is made out of 6 barrels of Shiraz and 4 barrels of Cabernet Sauvignion so you can imagine how many bottles it actually had been produced. Making it a wine that is worth dying for!
 

       Prime Steer Rib-Eye served with Truffle mash, roasted swiss brown mushrooms shallots        candied speck and sage & Selection of fine cheese to go with none other than The Executioner
 

  Madisons Restaurant,
  65, Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
  Tel: 03-2092-1222
  Operating Hours : Daily from 12pm to 1 am
 
   Shinas Estate Wines
For more information on Shinas Estate Wines, please do not hessitate to visit www.shinasestate.com

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Wine Tasting @ Nam Lee Cheong

Nam Lee Cheong located in the busy Jalan Sultan Ismail is a prominent homegrown wine importer and distributor established since 1946. Wine Tasting is conducted monthly and I was invited to one of their wine tastng session held on 24th July 2013 :) During this session, the red wines were placed on a long table with names and description being place next to the bottles while white wines were chilled in the wine bucket. Basically, is like a wine buffet, all you need is just to pour into your glass for tasting!


Selections for the red wines for the wine tasting which has range of Old World Wines such as Tommasi (Italy), Rioja Vega (Spain) & Seignouret (France) and New World Wines which includes Montes (Chile), Pinno (South Africa) & Warburn (Australia)


Among all the reds, I was very interested to try PINNO. Why? Because it is made 100% of pinotage grapes. Pinotage grapes are native to South Africa just like Merlot is to France. In short it is the signature grape from South Africa. The unexpected was it has the BANANA aromas with wine color of most unusual which is brownish in color!


Selection of white wines  are less compared to the reds as there are only 3 types with origin from France and Chile. Worth mentioning is the Viognier, a type of white grape which is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone Valley hence the production volume is pretty limited in France. Viognier wines has a dinstict floral aromas and is meant to be drank young hence should be consumed immediately or within 2 years of storage and although the aroma and color suggest a sweet wines but it is actually pretty dry.
 
Thanks to Mr Tony Leong, the Chairman of Nam Lee Cheong, I was given an opportunity to taste wines that were not in the wine list. Among two that stick like a glue in my mind is none other than 2002 St Emilion and the wine shown on top which is famously known as CGM.  Outer Limits CGM is made from a blend of 3 different grapes namely 50% Carignan, 30% Grenache, 20% Mourèvdre. Hence the name CGM. Yes! its Carignan again! and Yes! it is Chilean Wine! The wine is bright ruby red in color. On the nose it suggests blackberries, dry fig, light reminiscences of cinnamon and an elegant spiciness with a hint of the French oak barrel.
 
Wine Tasting are normally held from 3.00pm to 7.00 pm on selected dates and they are FREE but would be subjected to Space Availabilty and RSVP. For more information, please do not hessitate to get in touch with Ms.Tan on the address and contact below:-
 
Nam Lee Cheong Sdn. Bhd. 44-1, Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.
 Tel: 603 21413177

 
 
 

Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Miguel Torres Wine Tasting @ Ceggo BoardRoom


 
It is not common to be able to taste wines of different origin at an event unless you are talking about wine fairs and showcases.  Such is the case for this event. Held at Ceggo Boardroom, Taman Danau Desa, We were honored to have Mr Gabriel Fernandez of Miguel Torres to introduce a total of  5 types of wines from 2 Origins namely Chile and Spain.
 

Out of the 5 type of wines, 3 are from Chile while 2 are from Spain. Miguel Torres winery is located at one of the oldest wine region in Chile which is the region of Curico. While, Jean Leon winery is located in the region of Penedes, Spain. Worth mentioning that Chile is free from phylloxera louse which means grape can grows from their original vines and need not to be grafted. This in return promised good and quality grape yields. Based on interview with Mr Gabriel, the vines used are more than 100 years old!!  However so, Miguel Torres has limited production of their wines range as an assurance to their client that only the best are being produced and is absolutely a value for money wines.


The first wine of the night was Miguel Torres Cordilera Chardonnay, if you like apple and vanilla, you would indefinitely feel in love with this wine. I have to say, it was one of the best Chardonnay I had so far :). On the nose, apart from apple and vanilla, you will be able to find  hazelnut fruit aromas, complemented by fine nuances of toasted bread. Overall, the palate is meaty and dense, well outlined by delicate acidity. This chardonnay would fair well with starters such as Brie, Gruyere and Provolone cheese.


Next on the menu are the Jean Leon wines, we started with Jean Leon Cabernet Sauvignon Rsv 2005 before proceding with Jean Leon Merlot, Vinya Palau 2006. Bear in minds these wines are 7-8 years old. Averagely, wines are best consumed not more than 5 years from their production date but there are some exceptions :) and these wines are definitely one of them. What made them good was despite their age, the wines tannins were kept at a balance level especially the Cabernet Sauvignon which is a full bodied wine but the tannins were not heavy at all! This means that both of these wines are extremely versatile in food pairing ..Cool!
Another fascination of Jean Leon wines are their grape varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These grapes were directly imported from France as Mr Jean Leon believes that this varietal would fit the balmy Mediterranean climate perfectly.

                                                    Miguel Torres Cordilera Carinena

After the Spanish wines, we were back to Chilean wines but now to is to taste one of the rare gems of Chilean Wines. The gem we are talking about is Carignan, this is actually a Spain/ French wine grape variety and it is not common to be found in Chile but  Miguel Torres is among the few which has this grape varietal in their vineyard. The blend with Merlot and Syrah produces a very unique taste, it was rather long ending with a tint of spiceness. So far, this was my favorite wine for that night.


Although so, some of my"wine kakis" that night beg to differ as they like the last wine of the night which was Miguel Torres Manso De Velasco, a single vineyard wine. This means that The Single Vineyard of Manso de Velasco is devoted exclusively to the Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is an intense and deeply-pigmented wine with palate of great dimension, round and complex coupled with appreciating fruity notes, clove and cocoa.


                                        Mr Gabriel Fernandez of Miguel Torres and I

                                  My "Wine KAKIs" for the night, Fui Ping, LA and Carmen

Miguel Torres
 
Jean Leon
 
Ceggo Boardroom
NO. 9-0-5, JALAN 3/109
DANAU BUSINESS CENTRE
TAMAN DANAU DESA
58100 KUALA LUMPUR