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 […]
Rosé Revolution – Eddie McDougall
Last year I wrote about Eddie McDougall and his show, The Flying Winemaker, and this year he is coming back as the flying rosé man. As part of his three stops project, Singapore is the debut station for his Rosé Revolution 2015. And if you are like me, trying to balance the summer heat with some light tipple, […]
Indonesia to ban alcohol. Cui bono?
Will it come as a surprise if Indonesia really banned all alcohol in the country? Heavily populated with Muslim community and a country made up of over thousands of islands, I don’t think the majority will feel a thing if this bill eventually passes through. But I do think that might make Singapore seems a lot more appealing to their expatriate population and, […]
Eddie McDougall – The Flying Winemaker
Who is Eddie McDougall? If you have that question in your head, I am certain you are not alone. I was equally clueless when I first heard the name, but very soon he will be appearing on one of my favourite television channels, TLC. A new 13-episode series, titled The Flying Winemaker, hosted by Eddie will début on September 15. But […]
Sommelier who doesn't drink – Amanda
Some people find their passion for wines in an utterly romantic story of how they chanced upon a beautiful wine so elegant it completely blew them away. For someone who does not drink, there’s absolutely no way I have a fancy story like that to tell. My name is Amanda, I am a sommelier and this is […]
Durian Wine – The unthinkable made possible
Yes, you saw the title correctly. If you are still in disbelief, read the following words. Durian. Wine. If you are a fan of both, go ahead with the curious “ooh” and delightful “ah”. But consuming one within short interval after the other is known to have a lethal effect, so is the lethality going to […]
One grape, many forms
My recent solo trip to Hong Kong, without an accompanying voice of reasons, had me walked right into the doors of Bo Innovation. A two Michelin stars restaurant owned by the maverick chef, Alvin Leung, features carefully designed menu using commonly found ingredients, challenging conventional form of Chinese cuisine to the extreme. The result, a series of mind-blowing “food-gasmic “sensations.
Wines to go with Chinese New Year feasts
As we usher in the year of the snake, the most important event for many of us is the reunion dinner. In Singapore, where families are typically small, most people would be spending their Chinese (or Lunar) New Year’s eve dinner at home with a home-cooked spread. That usually works for me too. But this […]
The Wine Advocate is coming to town
Congratulations fellow Singaporeans. Last week we were on the international limelight, again. With the highly influential wine-critic Robert Parker sold away a major stake of his publication, The Wine Advocate (WA), to Singaporean investors trio, the wine business world is around us. As all swords cut both ways, these are what I see of the […]
Singapore Wine Fiesta 2012 – Thirteen to one
The Spaniards are known for two words, siesta and fiesta. While we are not a siesta-promoting country, fortunately we still have the latter. Singapore Wine Fiesta back in Custom House once more with wines from 65 producers across 13 countries to one island state, it was a taste bud sharpening and liver busting weekend.