If you’re an Australian wine lover, you’ll be familiar with James Halliday’s Wine Companion which is the equivalent of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate  for Australian wine. The Wine Companion contains honest and impartial review of Australian wine and food matching that will keep any Aussie wine lover informed.

James Halliday has been publishing the annual overview of Australian wine with the Wine Companion since 1986 and the 2011 edition iphone app version is out now. The app is  the #1 Top grossing app in the Lifestye Category of the Apple store for month of August 2010.

The actual hard copy was released in early August but has not yet hit book stores in Hong Kong. If you still insist on getting a hard copy, head on down to Page One bookshops which has Wine Companion 2010 until the 2011 edition arrives.

Highlights of what the Australian Wine Companion include:

• Over 50,000 tasting notes
• Best wines by variety
• The top 100 wines from 2001
• Best value wine in different price range
• Best wineries of the year
• Expert ranking of wineries throughout Australia
• Vintage rating charts

and much more!

How much?

Wine Companion 2011 edition, HK$210 at Page One Times Square tel: 2506 0381

The app costs US$9.99 and can be downloaded from iTunes store

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The phenomenal growth of the wine industry in China has led one of the nascent elite “First Growth” from Bordeaux, Château Margaux, to set up a first ever representative office in Hong Kong. China is Château Margaux’s second market and may soon become its first. As part of their strategy to enter the Chinese market, Château Margaux has acquired a Chinese name, 瑪歌酒莊 and will soon launch a Chinese version of its website.

Thibault Pontallier and Paul Pontallier

Heading up this first venture into Asia is Thibault Pontallier, brand ambassador and also the son of Château Margaux’s General Director.

Pontallier is tasked  to gain a better understanding of the Chinese market and to raise the profile of the brand by organizing tastings and dinners. He will also be meeting with local wine professionals, visiting importers and retailers of Château Margaux.

Château Margaux currently produces:

• Château Margaux Grand Vin
• Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux
• Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

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Listed as one of the top 10 places to run a marathon by the Lonely Planet Guide, the “Marathon du Médoc” in Bordeaux will be held this year on 11 September. Organized in the spirit of “health, sport, conviviality and fun,” it literally becomes a celebration fully embracing the culture of the Médoc. A marathon unlike any other, there’s gourmet food and wine, live bands, fancy dress marathon runners and fireworks to top it all off.

Held annually every September since 1985, the race was dreamed up by five Bordeaux runners, four of them doctors who wanted to celebrate pleasure, not pain. The Medoc Marathon is 42,195 km and the circuit winds its way across the beautiful wine country of Pauillac in South of France and crosses over 50 of the most famous vineyards in France.

The marathon kicks off at 9.30am with a concert and participants are encouraged to dress up in fancy costumes. There are 22 points of “refreshments” stops for runners to fill up while on the run, mostly of the gourmet kind with stands serving oysters, foie gras, entrecote, steak and other delicacies and of course wine!

So popular is this marathon that there are already 8,500 runners confirmed this year and the organizers have received applications from 15,000 people from all over the world!

Details:

To find out more, go to Marathondumedoc.com

Story submitted by JC Vien, a professionally qualified wine educator and holder of the prestigous Diploma Level 4, WSET and Bordeaux Wine School Educator who will also be running in this year’s Medoc Marathon.

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Sopexa is introducing their Advance Level French Wine Course this summer aimed at those who have completed the Elementary Course and wish to develop further their knowledge of French wine. The course consists of 7 classes totaling 18 hours overall. Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 27th July to 24 August at W’s Entrecote over in Causeway Bay. There will be an examination at the end of this Certificate course.

Lecturers are conducted by Hong Kong’s leading wine experts including Ms. Debra Meiburg, Hong Kong’s celebrated wine journalist and MW, Mr.Nelson Chow, Chairman of the Hong Kong Sommelier Association and F&B Operations and Development at Miramar International Hotel Management Corp, Mr. Peter Kwong, Star Sommelier and 2nd highest ranked Chinese Sommelier in Asia and Mr.Wilson Kwok, Wine Judge and Critic and the Managing Director of W’s Entrecote.

How much?
HK$3500

Details

• Date: Every Tuesday and Thursday from 27th July to 24th August 2010
• Time:3.15-5.30pm
• Venue: W’s Entrecote, 6/F Express by Holiday Inn Hotel, 33 Sharp Street East, Causeway Bay.
• To enrol, contact Emily Chan from Sopexa at 2866 7163

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Millesima‘s new application allows lovers of fine wine to purchase wine and wine futures directly from their iPhone or Blackberry without  going to the company’s website on the internet. On line direct sale of Grand Crus is now literally in the palms of your hands. This is a world’s first wine e-commerce application from an accredited wine merchant.  Now you can buy wine and wine futures quickly and easily with your credit card through your phone.

What the app can do:

• Offers direct access to full Millesima wine inventory from 15 of their localized websites for the European market, Hong Kong and US market.
• Available in six languages
• Comes with a ‘Futures alert function’ to receive instant notification as pricing is released when you sign up for the wine futures/primeurs alert function.
• Wish List function: Save wine you want to buy on your wish list for future purchase
• Remembers your browsing history even if you don’t

Click here to download this app.

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Golden Gate Wine is having their first annual tasting on Thursday, June 24th.  There will be up to 50 great wines to taste from the United States including some old favorites, some boutique and some new ones to discover.

How much?

HK$200 per person

Details

• Date: June 24th, 2010
• Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm
• Where: American Club – 49/F Exchange Square Two, Central, Hong Kong.
• RSVP: call 8198 0611

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En Primeur’s video – Part 1 from Millesima SA on Vimeo.

With the soaring demand in Hong Kong and China for first growth Bordeaux as seen in the record breaking prices achieved at every wine auction held in Hong Kong, wine merchants are predicting that the market is ready for en primeur wine.

What does buying en primeur wine mean?
It is a system of buying wine early while they are still in the barrels before the vintage has been bottled. Bordeaux wineries has traditionally maintained this system of trading wine since the 16th century. Producers offer up a portion of annual production for early sale usually 12- 18 months before they are bottled and release to the market at a discounted price. This process guarantees producers’ financing and allows them to invest in future harvests while the wine ages in the barrel.

En primeurs’ video – Part 2 from Millesima SA on Vimeo.

When does the buying take place?
Every Spring, the economy of Bordeaux wines is determined at the opening of the en primeur campaign in Gironde, Bordeaux. All those who have a stake in the Bordeaux wine trade including buyers, importers, sommeliers, wine critics and wine journalists make a pilgrimage to Bordeaux to taste the previous year’s vintage from the Châteaux of Bordeaux (over 400 estates participates). The release of the wines on the market only happens after the tasting sessions is done and then prices are determined based on the quality of the wine.

How are Bordeaux en primeur wine traded?
The trading of Bordeaux wine is only conducted exclusively with local wine merchants with license know as ‘the courtier de place’ obtained from Bordeaux. In total there are only 130 license holders who are able to buy Bordeaux wine en primeur. Wine merchant without license are not allowed to directly buy and sell these wines. If you are thinking that this is quite a protected market, you are right! Within this system, the wine brokers are only able to purchase based on their ‘allocations’ which correspond to the cases assigned by the Chateaux to each broker, making it quite difficult for mere mortals to buy Bordeaux en primeur without the right connection and even then with many layers of intermediaries involved, it will be difficult to buy at a good price.

Part 2 of “The Guide to Buying Bordeaux Wine En Primeur” will be out tomorrow. “The Guide to Buying Bordeaux Wine En Primeur Series” is sponsored by Millesima.

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With 2009 proving to be a huge success for the Cocktail All-stars event, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental have decided to bring back the world’s most renowned mixologists for another year!

From June 9 to June 11, the second edition of Cocktail All-stars is set to unfold. Some of the famous names who are expected to make an appearance include Ryan Fitzgerald of San Francisco’s Beterra, Chris Hannah of French 75 Bar in New Orleans and Kenta Goto of New York’s Pegu Club. During the nights, almost every cocktail will be highlighted- from the old and obscure classics to the more popular turn-of-the-century drinks.

Cocktail lovers are invited to witness this event and enjoy a cocktail or two during cocktail hours to the tunes from which each of the mixologists hails.

Details:

A Night in New Orleans: French Quarter Style and Sass

When? 9 June from 6pm

San Francisco Old and New: The West Coast’s Best Through the Ages

When? 10 June from 6pm

The Next Generation: From Tokyo to New York: Tequila, Fizzes, Old Fashioned’s and Funk Friday

When? 11 June from 6pm
Where?

• At the MO bar, Landmark Mandarin-
• Tel: 2132 0077

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Acker Merrall & Condit’s auction of “The Imperial Cellar” wine collection made an astounding HK$152 million (US $19.5 million) with 97.3% of the lots sold over the weekend. The auction was held at Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong on May 28 and 29 and sold a total of 1,820 lots and more than 19,000 bottles.

The Imperial Cellar is the second biggest wine auction of all time worldwide. Eric Greenberg, owner of “The Imperial Cellar” said, “It’s an honor and privilege to share my collection and passion for wine with Asia. This auction is a true indication that Hong Kong is the future of fine wine.”

Bidders comprised of Asia’s most serious wine collectors, along with absentee bidders from all over the world who used the phone and Internet to compete for the lots. The majority of the buyers were from Asia, particularly Hong Kong and Mainland China. John Kapon, Acker Merrall & Condit’s President and Auction Director said that lots were selling well above their estimated value.

Five unique lots consigned directly by France’s Chateau Margaux were sold for a total of HK$3,098,800. The net proceedings of the sale will be donated to the Great Wall Society of China to help the cause of preserving the Great Wall.

The top five lots of the sale were:

• A Superlot of 96 bottles of 1998-1999 Henri Jayer Vosne Romanee Cros Parantoux sold for HK$1,952,000 after spirited bidding, setting a new world auction record for any Henri Jayer lot ever sold.

• A Superlot of 702 bottles from vintage 2000 of top Bordeaux sold for HK$1,659,200.

• 12 bottles of 1959 Richebourg by Henri Jayer  sold for HK$1,659,200.

• A Superlot of 360 bottles (1978-2007) from the Chateau Margaux Private Cellar achieved HK$1,464,000, setting yet another new world auction record for any Chateau Margaux lot ever sold.

• Two 12-bottle lots of 1996 DRC Montrachet each sold for HK$1,171,200, (new world auction record for any DRC Montrachet lot ever sold).

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Hong Kong Wine Week takes place from May 20 to May 30, 2010 with over 30 events from around town, the big one being the wine walk event similiar to the Timeout wine walk where for HK$500 you get to taste wine and cheese at over 20 locations in Central and Sheung Wan, on May 28.

To find out more, go to  http://www.hongkongwineweek.com/vine

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