Taste moscato’s telltale orange-blossom nose with Ben Rye 2007

A bright and airy fruity cocktail for this week’s Winebuzz pick.

JC Viens is a wine educator and holder of the prestigious Diploma Level 4, WSET and a certified International Bordeaux Educator. He is an avid wine lover and selects the Ben Rye 2007 from Italy, origin of some of the most rewarding wines.

Ben Rye Passito Di Pantelleria 2007 literally means “Son of the Wind” in Arabic after the plentiful breezes that sweep across the island of Pantelleria off the coast of Sicily where this outstanding wine originates. Arabs brought the Zibibbo grapes to the island from North Africa hundreds of years ago.

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Discovering Italian Sparkling Wine: Moscato D’Asti

JC Viens introduces us to Romano Dogliotti la Galeisa this week.

JC Viens is a wine educator and holder of the prestigious Diploma Level 4, WSET and a certified International Bordeaux Educator. He is an avid wine lover and selects the Moscato D’Asti from Italy, origin of some of the most rewarding wines.

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Master of Wine Debra Meiburg’s “Meet the Winemaker” Video Series

Candid new wine video series launched online.

Hong Kong’s very own Master Of Wine, Debra Meiburg, has just launched an online video series called “Meet the Winemaker” which is a charming “all-access” look at the wine industry and reveals the personal side of its movers and shakers.

Debra’s video offers an intimate look into the lives of the world’s most interesting and influential wine personalities including Ernst Loosen , Emmanuel Cruse from Chateau D’Issan, actor Sam Neil who has his own vineyard, and Cecile Bonnefond from Veuve Clicquot, among others.

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Expert Wine Picks: Vins de Vienne “Sotanum” 2003

The Sommelier of Sheraton picks a Sotanum 2003 for Winebuzz.hk Expert Picks this week.

Alan Tsui is the sommelier at Sheraton Hong Kong, where wine is an important part of their offering. Their SkyLounge wine room stocks an exclusive rare wine list from around the world and was one of the first in the city to install the Enomatic Wine Dispenser; allowing it to serve the widest range of wine by the glass anywhere in Hong Kong.

Back to the wine selected, the Vins de Vinenne “Sotanum” 2003 is a wine produced by the Vins de Vienne vineyard in the Rhone Valley, France. The vineyard’s historical significance dates back to the times of the Roman Empire and the vineyards of Seyssuel were already known for their quality.

The forgotten vineyard was revived in 1996 by four top winemakers from the right bank of the Rhône; Pierre Gaillard, Francois Villard, Yves Cuilleron, and later on Pierre-Jean Villa. They planted the first Syrah vines in 1996 and have been producing 3 crus: Sotanum, Taburnum and Heluicum on the now 19 hectares vineyard. The Sotanum stays in oak barrels for 20 months and is a concentrated wine with ripe, rich flavours and a full, long finish.

According to wine critics, this is a label that deserve serious attention.

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