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Serious about enjoying your wine? Why not give it a chance to present itself in the best possible way? Read our review of the world's best wine glass.

The post World’s best wine glass appeared first on Suite Life.

A vinuous snapshot of the where we are right now – in Singapore and beyond.

The post The state of wine right now appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

A vinuous snapshot of the where we are right now – in Singapore and beyond.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Go down a delicious vino-hole with these new wine bars and labels to explore.

The post Wine news: September 2019 appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Go down a delicious vino-hole with these new wine bars and labels to explore.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

The new varieties have been approved to combat the effects of climate change — we delve into what this means for the wine drinker and collector.

The post Bordeaux has allowed 7 new grapes to be grown in the appellation appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The new varieties have been approved to combat the effects of climate change — we delve into what this means for the wine drinker and collector.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Now is the time to drink Beaujolais. The wine from this warm, welcoming French region just north of Lyon has traditionally been regarded as something of a poor man’s Burgundy, a cheap, cheerful bottle to drink rather than collect. But the quality coming out of many of the wineries of Beaujolais in the last few years shows how “cheap” can quickly translate into “great value”, and I look forward to every new release. The region is teeming with energy and has also attracted an army of talented and ambitious younger winemakers keen to explore its beautifully diverse potential, a treasure of old vines and diverse terroirs.

For starters, the recent swing towards natural wines sprang from the late Jules Chauvet in the Beaujolais region. Today, 30 years after his death, Chauvet’s philosophy and methods still reside in the minds and practices of many current Beaujolais producers. Yet there are also dozens of traditional winemakers producing handcrafted, soulful bottles.

More widely, the world’s taste for lighter and more balanced wine has been met by many Beaujolais producers as they move to make the Gamay grape (nearly all Beaujolais wine is made from Gamay) a more interesting, compelling and profound shade of red. Gamay has an ability to instantly deliver juicy, flavoursome and satisfying reds for immediate drinking, creating wines that have depth, tannin structure and ageing potential.

And look at the prices. Most of the top wines sell out of their cellar door at between €10 to €20 a bottle to consumers -- even in a great vintage like 2015. Winemakers lament they barely make enough to cover their costs. “We don’t make wine to get rich,” says Jean-Paul Thévenet of Fleurie. “We make wine for people to drink and enjoy.”

The 2015 vintage will certainly do that. Historic vintages don’t come very often in Beaujolais, but the 2015 draws comparisons to the legendary 1947, a hot and dry year producing powerfully rich and long-lived wines. The most recent vintage on the market, 2018, may be even better than 2015. And great vintages like these can age. I have drunk bottles that are half a century old and they’re still in good shape.

The 2015s I’ve reviewed were rich in alcohol and fruit with an underlying freshness. Many were amazing wines showing wonderful depth of fruit and ripe tannins. Tasting them alongside the 2014s and 2016s, the 2015s showed superior depth and density. The balance of fruit, structure and acidity was irresistible.

“People say that 2015 is like 1947, but I was actually there in 1947,” recalls the 84-year-old Georges Duboeuf, the patriarch of the famous Beaujolais firm. “The grapes that were fermenting in our wooden vats in Pouilly-Fuissé were so hot that my grandmother made me get ice to put in the must. I can’t say if 2015 is at the same level but it is exceptional. Everything was excellent in 2015.” [inline_related_article article_id="137204"]

The top wines of 2015 are more expressive than most. Some seem more like ripe Grenache or Syrah than Gamay. Many bottles are more than 14 percent alcohol. Others push 15 percent. But the magic in cru Beaujolais is that they still showed their true character despite the sunny vintage and all of the fruit and alcohol that came with it. The Moulin-à-Vents had excellent linear structure. The Fleurie showed great aromatics and fine tannins. Côte de Brouilly exhibited an underlying tannic strength. The character of 2018 seems very much the same but with more freshness.

“People have been too focussed on Beaujolais nouveau,” says Nicole Chanrion, a small grower making excellent wines on her small estate in Cercié in Côte de Brouilly. “We want people to understand that Beaujolais is made to be drunk from one to five years on release.”

Sonja Geoffray of Château Thivin in Côte de Brouilly adds, “I’m a little sad that most of the 2015 Beaujolais will be drunk right away. They will be so much better in a few years.”

The 2016 and 2017 vintages are also both highly regarded, proving that Beaujolais is on a roll, not to mention the just-coming-out superb 2018. “I like the 2016 wines,” says Alex Foillard, one of Beaujolias’ young producers. “They show great typicity, freshness and fruit. They are very drinkable wines with lower alcohols.”

And the 2017s showed off the diversity of the region. Some highlights: The Michel Guignier Morgon Canon 2017 delivers a more brash, dark fruit impression; powerful yet thrillingly seductive. Château Thivin Côte- de-Brouilly Cuvée Zaccharie 2017 shows how oak can be deployed to heighten great Beaujolais. This wine is certainly going to repay cellaring.

The 2017 Morgon Montchoisy from Jean-Claude Debeaune really takes the appellation to another level again. Super dark fruits are wrapped in dark chocolate-like flavours and carried on long velvety tannins. A must-try wine and completely enthralling. And Antoine Sunier’s Morgon 2017 offers a plush array of ripe fruit in the strawberry and cherry zone. A beautifully conceived wine.

Good quality Beaujolais clearly has its place in the growing premium wine market of today so you need to take it seriously, especially considering the reasonable prices. Asia, particularly Hong Kong, is overheated with excitement for wine from Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, but in doing so it’s overlooking one of the treasures of France -- Beaujolais.

Find James Suckling's top Beaujolais bottles here:

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For more reviews and tasting notes, see JamesSuckling.com.

The post Burgundy’s Quiet Little Secret Is Beaujolais appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Imagine you could have access to over 2,000 wines and rare Burgundies in one location in Hong Kong. Then imagine you could sample a selection of them by the glass in a sleek setting paired with creative Cantonese cuisine. Well you needn't imagine any longer, because it's all waiting for you on the second floor of the new H Code building, at PIIN Wine Restaurant.

A passion project of Burgundy aficionados who also own two domaines in the region, Château de Meursault and Château de Marsannay, the restaurant offers an impressive wine programme that focuses on large format bottles as well as rare wines and older vintages. With the intention of making Burgundy more approachable, a variety of affordable labels are also present on the wine list. 

PIIN, named after the Chinese word for ‘taste’ and ‘to savour’, is a wine restaurant with Chinese cuisine at its core. When asked why Cantonese food had been chosen, above all others, to pair with their wines, the answer was simple: it’s all in the texture and flavour. Chinese cuisine is renowned for its different textures in food, from crispy roast pork or smooth tofu for example, which pair well with the luscious texture and silky tannins of Burgundies. The subtle nuances of flavour in both the wine and the food make for a rather delicious marriage.

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The menu, created by a former Fook Lam Moon chef, puts forward a range of small dishes that are available à la carte and in signature or premium tasting menus, with options for wine paring. Highlights include Cantonese classics such as slow-cooked pigeon smoked with jasmine tea leaves, a crispy deboned chicken wing stuffed with glutinous rice and garlic, and a nourishing double-boiled soup made with the season’s best produce. Other dishes that Chef Ming has gotten creative with include the cigar duck roll and a classic claypot rice with steamed minced pork made for one.

Some notable pours and pairings include the velvety 2016 Domaine du Château de Meursault, Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epenots, with ripe blackberry and cherry on the nose, and the bright, citrusy crispness of 2016 Domaine du Château de Meursault, Clos du Château. Both Burgundies match the smooth textures of dishes such as Japanese bean curd braised with Maitake mushrooms. The savoury, earthy 2001 Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, on the other hand, is a great pairing for dishes like smoky cold abalone with plum sauce and the cigar duck roll.

Tasting Menus

Signature: HK$980 per person + wine pairing $680 / premium wine pairing $1,800

Premium: HK$1,180 person + wine pairing $680 / premium wine pairing $1,800

The post PIIN Wine Restaurant Debuts with Fine Cantonese Cuisine and Over 2,000 Wines appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

European Waterways offers travelers an escape from the hustle and bustle of life. They provide the right amount of activity and backstage access to local sights, sounds and wonders. Guests format their day by choosing to bike ride through the quiet countryside, partake in a small group excursion, or lounge about with a book, while […]

The post European Waterways – Luxury in the Details appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.