Friday, September 9, 2016

Upcoming Wine Discovery Weekend 2016

Ewineasia is holding the third edition of what’s becoming an annual affair of it’s Wine Discovery Weekend. I had the opportunity to attend the preview and here’s a snapshot on the upcoming activities lined up for local wine enthusiasts.



 
The theme this time is “Discovering The Exceptional Less-Explored”. The plan is for enthusiasts to try wines a little less common, a little beyond the mainstream range. Activities will be held over 3 days (15, 16 and 17 Oct 2016). There’s 3 wine masterclasses, 2 wine dinners, 1 wine brunch and a walkabout tasting arranged to cater to your varied inclinations.

The Walkabout Tasting is on 15th Oct, held at APS Lifestyle Gallery. There’s more than 100 wine labels from over 40 wineries lined up for this event. 18 winemakers and winery representatives are attending this tasting to share with enthusiasts their wines and experiences. Paolo de Marchi from Tuscany (Italy), Celler Pinol from Terra Alta (Spain), Lis Neris from Friuli (Italy) and Agusti Torello Mata from Penedes (Spain) are a few of the representatives you can expect to see during this event.

The topics for the  3 masterclasses look interesting. They are:
a. Pinot Grigio of Friuli and its Rare Back Vintages
b. The Rise of Organic & Biodynamic Wines
c. Fine Wines of Espana

One doesn't often get the opportunity to try back vintages of Pinot Grigio. One question which may be going through your mind is whether Pinot Grigio holds the virtues and potential to warrant keeping and aging. Vintages of Lis Neris Gris 2013, 2011, 2009 and 2007 are lined up for tasting during this masterclass. Now you’ve got an opportunity to find out for yourself. These masterclasses (which comes complimentary) are held during the Walkabout Tasting.

Then there’s the wine meal experiences:
a. Wine Discovery Dinner at Shisen Hanten on 15 Oct
b. Vino Espanol Discovery Brunch at Cherry Garden on 16 Oct
c. Latin World Wine Discovery Dinner at W Hotel on 17 Oct

More additional info, you can visit the following link: Wine Discovery Weekend 2016

Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Great Southern Wine Event in Singapore

The Great Southern Wine Producers came to town recently to meet up with local wine enthusiasts. One of their aim was to share with wine consumers here information on their wine zone, sub-regions and the type of wines they produce.



A handful of wine producers from this region participated in the Masterclass, Dinner and Walkabout Tasting held in conjuction with this awareness exercise. The Wine Review acted as the local organizer and hosted these wine events in Singapore.

It’s a timely reminder of this region, as local wine folks here by and large look towards Swan Valley and Margaret River wine regions for their purchase of Western Australian wines. Even during casual discussions on cool climate wine regions in Australia, the Great Southern wine region seldom gets readily mentioned. At times a little effort from wine associations and stakeholders go a long way to educate and expose wine consumers to wine regions less heard of. In this context, the efforts of the Great Southern Producers Association needs to be appreciated.

Masterclass for Media & Sommeliers




The masterclass was held at Yan Restaurant (National Gallery of Singapore). Ch'ng Poh Tiong and Tan Ying Hsien, MW moderated this tasting session. Over 2 flights, participants were given the opportunity to taste Rieslings and Pinot Noirs to better understand the style of wines produced in the Great Southern region.



The wines presented were:
Flight 1
Rising Star Riesling 2014
Rockcliffe Single Site Riesling 2015
3drops Riesling 2015
Plantagenet House of Plantagenet Riesling 2015
La Violetta Das Sakrileg Riesling 2015
Frankland Estate Poison Hill Riesling 2015
Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 2015

Flight 2
Plantagenet Omrah Pinot Noir 2013
Rockcliffe Third Reef Pinot Noir 2015
La Violetta Ye Ye Rouge Pinot Noir 2015
3drops Pinot Noir 2015
Rockcliffe Single Site Pinot Noir 2015
Wignalls Pinot Noir 2014

Daisuke Shibuya

Unlike the warm-hot wine regions in Australia, The Great Southern offers the coolest wine growing region in Western Australia. The grapes get the opportunity ripen slowly, gain physical and phenolic ripeness, while at the same time retain good acidity to provide a fresh, vibrant sip. The wines therefore weren’t bold, concentrated or rich in character. They were, as one would expect, more the cool climate style displaying a degree of restraint and offered a delicate personality.

They highlighted more the purity of fruits in fresh, lively, light-plus to medium bodied sips. Rieslings from this region by and large highlighted minerality and citrus notes, with the occasional white flower blossom aroma. Pinot Noirs were notable for their youthful body with fresh red berry notes and lively acidity which offered a feel of vibrancy in one’s palate.

More pictures of this Masterclass can be viewed via this link: Masterclass Photos

The Great Southern Walkabout Tasting for Public and Professionals

This tasting was held at Salon by the Pool (Conrad Hotel) on 27 Aug.


 
 Seven wine producers from The Great Southern showcased their wines. They were:
3drops
Frankland Estate
La Violetta
Plantagenet Wines
Rockcliffe
Rising Star
Wignalls Wines

Both public and wine professionals attended this casual walkabout tasting which offered participants the opportunity to interact with wine producers directly and taste their wines.

Apart from Rieslings and Pinot Noirs introduced during the Masterclass, there were wines made from Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends as well. The Sparkling Chardonnay and Rose from the Rising Star winery and the Rose from 3drops proved delightful distractions from the still reds and whites tasted during this event.

Paul Hyatt of Rising Star with Jessica Tan


Joanne Bradbury of 3drops

More pictures of the Walkabout Tasting can be viewed via this link: Walkabout Tasting photos