The Montalcino experience
What does Montalcino mean to you? Is it a name synonymous with wines from Sangiovese, or the most celebrated wine region in entire Italy? Perhaps something else? In October 2016, my visit to Montalcino reveals a lot more than what I previously understood. And the more I learned, I realised the less I know. For […]
Hot 100 South Australia struck consumers chord
In a wine world where age worthiness is king, where exactly should deliciously delightful wine stand? That is a question that often goes quietly into the good night. Now, wine experts from South Australia are revolting and giving awards to wines that drink so well, keeping them in cellar is deprivation of pleasure. Who are these mavericks? They […]
Scoring wines at Vinitaly 5 Star Wine
After hearing that I will debut as a junior judge in Vinitaly 5 Star Wine, my good friend Morgun quickly asked that I must have this experience written after I returned. So in a way, Morgun this is for you. Because I have mentioned Verona in the past, I will just skip the fluff about how beautiful the city is […]
Italian white wines for Singapore
“Italians don’t make interesting white wines”, a casual remark I heard after few pints of beer. If the probable beer-triggered gout didn’t kill me that evening, that statement against Italian white wines almost did me in. This misconception is common as Italian white wines are obviously a victim of its red’s success. Although I lost count […]
The De Marchi returns to Lessona
Given an opportunity, would you move back to where your ancestors’ came from? Unlikely for me. But now and then, there are some people who are driven by a dream of restoring family greatness, they actually do make the move. Here’s a story about Paolo De Marchi, the man who is better known for the famous Isole […]
Felton Road – The legendary Kiwi Pinot Noir
It has been a while since I last mentioned Central Otago, and so it seems fitting that I returned to the topic of this region with a remarkable winery, Felton Road. In my recent meeting with Blair Walter, the winemaker was more than generous by detailing differences in the vineyard plots and on the choice […]
Is the sun rising on Japanese Wines?
Japanese Sake, plum (ume) liquors, whiskies, beers and strange tasting tomato juices. So, how about Japanese grape wines? Over past few years, I seen many attempts to bring Japanese grape wines into Singapore, with little success. Now with the Suntory folks placing their chips on Singapore, is the Land of The Rising Sun finally going to shine in the […]
Italian Wine Ambassador
First I must apologise for my hiatus, but believe me, my month-long absence was with a reason. I had the privilege to attend the inaugural Vinitaly International Academy certification course, with 54 other top-notch wine professionals including sommeliers, educators, journalists and consultants from around the world. This wasn’t just a personal mission to succeed in […]
Groot Constantia – The monuments of South Africa wine industry
One country that I hardly touched on is South Africa. This is a country with 330 years of wine production history, torn apart by fifty years of apartheid, and recently came out to be one of the promising economical zones in the upcoming decades. Fortunately, despite the many changes to political power, a very important monument of […]
The many twists of Pieropan
There aren’t many rules one needs to learn before visiting the Pieropan family, but try not to introduce yourself as Giulio. Having been in the business of making wines using fruits harvested from the hill of Soave since the late 19th century, the Pieropan family went through several tough rides to be what it is today. Although he […]