Bouchon is a bistro in its truest sense; fantastic wine, great food matched with superb service and knowledge in an elegant, relaxed environment.

Upon entering one is almost immediately transported back to Paris and the array of good French wines on their extensive list highlights the perception.

Top of the pile is their selection of Fine wines. Chateau Angelus, Chateau Lynch Bages and Chateau Palmer are present and their vintages are such that these wines are drinking very well at the moment. All fine wines are decanted at your table before consumption to make sure the guest has the wine at its optimum.

A little Paris in the heart of Soho.

Nestled in between some of SoHo’s finest restaurants is Elgin Street’s newest place to be seen, Flutes. As the name suggests, Flutes is a champagne bar with an extensive wine list. With seven champagnes by the glass including Mumm Brut Rose and Lanson Black label, and seventeen by the bottle, Flutes certainly is the real deal. The champagne bar in Kings Cross it is not, but Hong Kong has been waiting for a champagne bar that serves great champagnes at sensible prices for a long time and finally it has landed.

Champagne heaven.

Nestled in between some of Soho’s finest restaurants is Elgin Streets newest place to be seen. Flutes, as the name suggests is a champagne bar and a first glance upon their extensive wine list would certainly suggest this.

With seven champagnes by the glass, including Mumm Brut Rose and Lanson Black label, joining seventeen by the bottle, Flutes certainly is the real deal. The champagne bar in Kings Cross it is not, but, for a long time Hong Kong has been waiting for a champagne bar that serves great champagnes at sensible prices and finally it has landed.

You’ll find no cigar-smoking suits here as Flutes is unpretentious yet sophisticated and is almost designed to feel like a relic of the London Underground with a suave but cozy and very intimate atmosphere…definite first date territory!

General Manager Adrian Passow, who grew up and went to school here as a youth, commented; “We’re looking to serve quality champagnes at a reasonable price and want to eventually further extend the champagnes by the glass. As sparkling wines become ever more popular, we want to tailor-make our selection according to what today’s drinker wants.”

But champagne aside (Mr. Passow has admitted Prosecco is soon on the way), Flutes has a varied and wide-ranging selections of quality still wines from around the world and is evidence of the thought Mr. Passow has put into his varied selection of wines. Here you’ll enjoy Chateau Lascombes 2005, one of their best vintages since the American takeover, alongside Pichler Smaragd Kellerberg Riesling 2007 from Austria, from where Riesling doesn’t get much better.

Fantastic wines by the glass include the Miles From Nowhere, a dry but fruity and very palatable sauvignon blanc from the cool climates of Margaret River, Australia, and a stunning Sicilian Nivuro Nero d’Avola from Feudo di Santa Tresa.

And, for those who need something appetizing to accompany that fine bottle, Flutes also serves cheese platters and cold cuts alongside various wine-based snacks including bruschetta and pasta to please every palate.

Where?

• Flutes, 27 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong.
• Tel: 2810-0005
• Open: Mon to Sat 5pm to 2am (soon to open on Sundays)

By Alasdair Nicol

No cigar smoking suits here, Flutes is un-pretentious but yet sophisticated and the atmosphere is chic yet refined.  Almost designed like a relic of the London Underground the feeling is suave but cozy and very intimate, this is first date territory.

General manager Adrian Passow, who grew up and went to school here as a youth admitted, “we are looking at serving quality champagnes at a reasonable price”.

“We want to eventually further extend the champagnes by the glass “, says Mr. Passow. “As sparkling wines are becoming ever more popular we want to tailor make our sparkling wines according to what today’s drinker wants”.

But champagne aside (Mr. Passow has admitted Prosecco is soon on the way) Flutes has a varied and wide-ranging selections of quality still wines from around the world.

The wine list at Flutes displays the thought Mr. Passow has put into offering a varied selection of wines. Chateau Lascombes 2005; one of their best vintages since the takeover since the American takeover, alongside Pichler Smaragd Kellerberg Riesling 2007 from Austria, from where Riesling doesn’t get much better.

Fantastic wines by the glass include the Miles From Nowhere, a dry but fruity and very palatable sauvignon blanc from the cool climates of Margaret River, Australia and a stunning Sicilian Nivuro Nero d’Avola from Feudo di Santa Tresa.

Flutes serves cheese platters and cold cuts alongside various wine-based snacks including bruschetta and pasta for those who need something to accompany that fine bottle.

Where?

• Flutes, 27 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong.
• Tel: 2810-0005
• Open: Mon to Sat 5pm to 2am (soon to open on Sundays)

By Alasdair Nicol

A Hong Kong institution since opening in 1963, The Chinnery in the Mandarin Oriental hotel is more than just a place that evokes memories of colonial days gone by.

Not only does it boast Hong Kong’s largest collection of single malt whiskies (122 to be exact) but it has a master wine list that is sure to impress even the staunchest wine snob.

Sitting in opulent comfort listening to smooth jazz, one can peruse the list of over 750 wines that includes DRC La Tache from Burgundy, Colgin Estate IX from Napa Valley, Vega Sicilia Unico from Ribera Del Duero and countless first and second growths from Bordeaux.

The wine list will soon undergo an expansion to include between 50 and 100 more wines.

“We want, of course, to offer iconic Chateaux and Domaines,” says Head Sommelier Hubert Chabot. “But in order to increase the choice of wines available to our clientele, we aim to add some boutique wines from smaller wineries around the world.”

Mr. Chabot, a Frenchman, has recently arrived from England’s five-star, two Michelin-starred country retreat The Vineyard, and a highlight of his passion for wine is to include the uber-exclusive Peter Michael Winery Ma Belle-Fille Chardonnay from the Knights Valley in Sonoma, California, onto the master list.

The bar list has a great choice of wines by the glass, incorporating 4 Champagnes by the glass, 3 reds and 3 whites, 1 rose and 2 dessert wines. Within this is a good mix of styles and origins including wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy plus Chile, New Zealand and Hungary.

The Chinnery offers fine wines in a superlative setting which is further emphasized by complete, efficient and exact service.

The Chinnery

• 1st Floor, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong.
• Tel: 2522 0111

Koh Tom Yums is not your traditional Thai restaurant. First of all, it’s located in Discovery Bay and is an upmarket Thai restaurant that serves authentic, quality Thai food. Koh Tom Yums is taking ‘wine and dine’ to another level. The restaurant boasts a wine list of over 130 wines with 22 selected red, white and rose wines available by the glass.

Their efforts to offer wine by the glass has not gone unnoticed. Wine Spectator has awarded Koh Tom Yum with an Award of Excellence for its wine list in both 2010 and 2011 – the only free-standing restaurant in Hong Kong to have been awarded this accolade.

Wine consultant, Greg Walker commented; “Recently we have been working with the chefs here to come up with traditional Thai dishes specifically meant to go with good wines. We expect to be featuring exclusive Thai wines from Granmonte on our list in the very near future.”

Highlights on the Koh Tom Yums wine list include Chateau Lascombes from Bordeaux, Chateau Ksara from the Lebanon, Geoff Merrill wines from Australia and Marquis de Riscal from Spain. The list also features many other wines from Chile, New Zealand, Italy and from as far away as Brazil.

The restaurant also features a 6 bottle Cave Vinum wine dispenser to give customers the chance to drink high quality wines that would not usually be available by the glass.

It can certainly be said that this is a pioneering Thai restaurant and one that we hope will set the standard for other restaurants in the future.

Where?

• Koh Tom Yum
• Shop 105B, 1/F, D Deck, Discovery Bay.
• Tel: 2987 0767

- By Alasdair Nicol

As you step into The Central Wine Club, you’re immediately transported into a world of fine wine as you stroll past the vast wine cellars to arrive at your table. The look and feel of The Central Wine Club is very much like a gentleman’s club complete with masculine leather chairs, art pieces and flat screen TV that adorn its walls.

As you are handed your i-Pad wine list (boasting more than 600 wines from around the old and new world), it dawns on you that you’ve entered a wine lover’s paradise.

The Central Wine Club is essentially a members club for wine lovers and enthusiasts which opened its door in October 2010 and offers memberships with varying degrees of privileges: the Silver membership starts from HK$3800 per annum, Gold membership costs HK$28,000 and Platinum membership goes up to HK$68,000.

Membership fees are treated as credit and can be used against any purchases in the club. The club boasts a wine concierge service and a temperature-controlled wine storage room where members can store their own wines.

While top-end spirits are available, the major focus is the wine according to General Manager Jean Leslie, a Canadian native who has since settled down in Hong Kong. “Our wine list reflects the local consumer market of today,” says Leslie. “Seventy percent of our list is old world with a major focus on fine Bordeaux and Burgundy”.

Stand-out wines available to order are 1959 La Tache from Romanee Conti, 1982 Salon Champagne, Chateau Latour 1982 (100pts Parker) and numerous back vintages of Chateau Haut Brion and the exclusive Roberto Cavalli wines from Italy.

Their small menu of light bites, tapas, cold meats and pasta are the perfect match as they were specifically designed to pair with the wines.

Our verdict? This is a great place to drink great wine. The prices are very sensible and you get a wide selection of wines to choose from. It’s a quiet place to discuss business or wine, and a nice escape from the noise and madness that is LKF and Wyndham Street a few steps away.

Where?

• The Central Wine Club
• 3^rd Fl Sea Bird House, 22-28 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.
• Tel: 2147-3448
• www.thecentralwineclub.com

By Alasdair Nicol

La Piola is a new Italian restaurant that has just opened recently on Lyndhurst Terrace.  It’s first and foremost an eating establishment but also features a big side-street wine bar that’s well stocked with a wide range of Italian wines, particularly from the Piedmont region.

Why Piedmont? Well, owner Enrico Gili is a Turin native and hails from a region that pioneered the ‘slow food movement’ and is home to two of the country’s most famous wines – Barolo and Barbaresco.

With a passion for Italian food and wine, Enrico Gili opened La Piola with the aim of bringing the ‘slow food’ concept to Hong Kong and introducing Italian vino. “We want people to get to know more about the wines of Italy”, says Gili. “They need to be accessible and they represent great value for money”.

With a big wine bar area up front and a big wine cellar in the back, La Piola is designed as a place to enjoy Italian wines before moving on to a table at the restaurant for some hearty food cooked in the Piedmont style.

The selection of wines is predominantly from Piedmont and also featured in the wine list and exclusively available to the restaurant is Gili’s family wine, now produced under a consortium – Cantina Sociale di Vinchio e Vaglio Barbera Superiore Barrique Vigne Vecchie.

Some of the wines we recommend on La Piola’s wine list include:

• Pelissero Barbaresco Vanotu 2006 and Alessandria Gianfranco Barolo San Giovanni 2004
• Giacomo Damilano 1978 Barolo
• Borgogono e Figli 1981 Barbaresco Riserva
• Guasti Clemente e Figli Barbera d’Asti 1985

There are a few token Australian, French and New Zealand wines to provide some variety but with the wide variety of Piedmont wines, well, when in Rome….!

Where?

La Piola, G/fl and 1^st fl 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 28512281

– By Alasdair Nicol

Looking for a new venue to drink wine? Golden Gate Wine has set up a wine buffet featuring wine exclusively from the US at Elgin’s Bar on Elgin Street. And you guessed it, it’s a wine buffet so you can drink as much as you like! We suggest you taste your way through the 5 wines they’re presenting and go back for seconds for the ones you prefer.

Chef Carlos of Elgin’s Bar has also prepared some tapas to go with the wine buffet or, if you’d rather make a night of it, order a full course dinner to boot.

How much?

HK$150 per person for the wine buffet (dinner not included)

Details

• Date: Starting from 28 January 2011 (Friday) for 1 month
• Time: 6-9pm
• Venue: Elgin’s Bar, 9 Elgin Street, Soho.
• Any questions, call Fifi of Golden Gate Wine at 2891 8181 or email fifi@goldengatewine.com

Photo Source: Modern Arc Inc

Wyndham Street gets a taste of California in January with the opening of new wine bar California Vintage.

You’ve no doubt seen the hoarding 3 shops down from Divino in Soho and have been wondering what it’s all about. From what we understand, California Vintage will open its first – and flagship – wine bar in Hong Kong in January and then expand 20 outlets in China, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea.

But not all of Napa and Sonoma will be available as California Vintage is working with 22 Californian family-owned wineries and will have 80 wines for tasting; half-pour and full-glass with tasty Californian food.

UPDATE: California Vintage have just sent us the artist renderings of what the venue will look like:

For the tech savvy wine lover: CV will have iPads filled with wine information, videos and pairing ideas. For the socializer: there will be sommelier-hosted lunches and winemaking seminars.

The partner wineries list is as follows:

• Acorn Winery (Russian River Valley)
• Anaba (Sonoma Valley)
• Bonneau Wines (Sonoma Valley)
• Cass Winery (Paso Robles)
• Chentella Winery (Central Coast/Sierra Foothills)
• Fleury Winery (Napa Valley)
• Fritz Winery (Dry Creek Valley/Russian River/Sonoma Coast)
• Golden Gate Wine Co. (Multiple California)
• Hope Family Wines (Paso Robles)
• Kachina Vineyards (Dry Creek Valley)
• Lange Twins Winery & Vineyards (Lodi)
• Peachy Canyon Winery (Paso Robles)
• R&B Cellars (Multiple California)
• Rock Wall Wine Company (Multiple California)
• RustRidge Winery (Napa Valley)
• Sand Hill at Durell Vineyards (Carneros)
• Silver Mountain Vineyards (Santa Cruz Mountains/Santa Lucia Highlands)
• Stuhlmuller Winery (Alexander Valley)
• Thomas Fogarty Winery (Santa Cruz Mountains/Central Coast)
• Three Wine Company (Russian River/Contra Costa)
• Tierra Roja/Mellowood (Napa Valley/Fair Play)
• Venge Vineyards (Napa Valley)
• Yorba Wines (Amador County)

Not your usual list of California wine suspects (What? No Mario Andretti?) With a seating capacity of 60 people and a launch date in the second week of January, we think the California wine scene in Hong Kong is ready to grow! Stay tuned here for more info when it opens.

So, here’s the artist’s rendering of the space at 77 Wyndham Street. It looks to have that Californian rustic look – a great space and a great location to enjoy some California wines:

More photos/impressions as they approach their launch date.

Domani stays true to its roots. Restaurants specialising in Italian wines are a common site these days, but only a handful take their collection quite as seriously as the folks at Domani.

The Thomas Heatherwick designed eatery carries over 200 bottles from across Italy, and regularly hosts dinners and tasting sessions with some of the county’s most notable producers. Of course, that’s not to suggest you can’t indulge in some splendid selections from elsewhere. But as the popular saying goes: When in Rome…

Chief among the stock is the 1982 Brunello, which due to limited availability had to be purchased on auction. The hallmark feature of exquisite entry is its surprisingly low alcohol content of just 12 degrees – practically unheard of for a Brunello. At HK$10,800 a bottle however, it certainly doesn’t come cheap.

For something easier on the wallet, sommelier Eric Chan suggests the 2001 Tignanelo Antinori – velvety and easy to pair, it’s the perfect accompaniment to the restaurant’s rib-eye steak special.

Lastly, with white truffle season in force, we can’t forget to mention the host of delectable low-acidity wines on offer.  The Cervaro della Sala Antinori is the undisputed house favourite, but for something a little fruitier, try the Tuscan Pinot Grigio, Castello di Ama.

Serious Italian wine buffs should to try for place at the restaurant’s upcoming gala dinner on October 7, where representatives from over 30 labels will introduce some of their latest creations.

Where?

Level 4, Pacific Place,88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong. Tel: 2111-1197

A popular place on Wyndham Street to drink wine with the stylish set, DiVino has just re-opened and made some notable additions to its wine list. Among the various add-ons, 2005 Super Tuscan Le Sughere remains by far the most noteworthy. Produced at the famed Rocca di Frassinello estate – a Franco-Italian partnership between Domini Castellare and Baron De Rothschild-Lafite – it’s a cross-cultural champion, and perfect accomplice to the penne gorgonzola.

Speaking of Lafite, the esteemed label’s 2007 vintage retails (bizarrely) for just HK$90 a glass – a steal, considering a bottle could set you back by more than HK$6,000 in certain places.

To celebrate the new look, DiVino has also ordered a fresh stock of its Brut Valdobbiadene Ciodet prosecco. Rarely seen outside of Italy, the crispy popper carries the esteemed D.O.C.G. certification which, relative to the D.O.C. mark, indicates even more stringent quality-control testing.

For dessert, it’s all about the 2006 Verduzzo di Ramandolo – sweet but far from overpowering, it’s quite workable with the tris of chocolate.

As for décor, the key feature is the new balcony and expanded seating area at the back of the venue. The main bar and seating area on the other hand remain largely the same, but for minor changes to the wood paneling.

Where?

G/F, 73 Wyndham Street Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 2167 8883