Take away thoughts from wine tasting at 8-degree hotel

Invited by my friend to a wine-tasting event at 8-degree hotel at To Kwa Wan, located between huge estates and heritage avenues. Shocked by the wedding like setting. This looks as if a perfect place for wedding cocktail.

My entry this time is not focusing the hotel, yet to the host for the wine tasting.
From this function, my take-away is not to mention about the wine. The focus is on customer service and resources planning for an event.

Regardless what wine is being served, better not reconfirm for more than once. For snacks, be frank, we are like...in a chinese restaurants. Surprising they are serving preserved eggs to company the wine. Unfortunately I can't find any wine matching with that. Detail arrangement shall be put on snacks for food & wine marriage to enhance the scent and balance of wine, a win-win for wine sales / impulsive consumption.

The most amazing one is on the order list. Obviously the long table displayed much more wines than those listed on the order list. We therefore kinda befriend with the agent so that we can taste those not on list...there it comes...they have plan A, B & C! and they didn't show us until...4 hours later! Absurd! The great wines are in plan C and this sheet was hiding from all tables until asked! What kinda sales are they?

The event ends with a ridiculous incident where they invite the winemaker to make a speech...in their own language...without translation. That means just let them speak in French. The translator could only get like...10% of the content and guess!!! >.< Can't they be more prepared??? Sigh...

Room for improvement, as...they have no room to deterioriate more...

How to Qualify as a Wine Critic

This is where I am working towards...what a long way to go...

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How to Qualify as a Wine Critic


In addition to wine tasters, you will also find wine critics who will do reviews on different types of wine. These are not just people who drink different wines and give you their opinion on the taste, but they are professionals. They may be wine tasters or they may be freelance critics who have been hired by a specific organization to taste a particular wine and do a review. They may be hired by the manufacturer or even a wine wholesaler as part of an advertising campaign they are launching. However, the reasons may be varied and the sources versatile, there is no mistaking the fact that wine critics have a very important job to do.

In order to be a wine critic you have to be familiar with wine and not just as a drinker. You have to be able to taste wine without drinking it and know the flavor it should provide. You have to know what to detect during your tasting process and be able to portray that information to the public in a positive way. You have to know about many different kinds of wines and not just one kind. You can of course, portray yourself as an expert with just one wine, but you will not be in very much demand. Those who work as wine critics sometimes double as wine tasters, which gives them the information they need for the wine reviews.

Why would anyone need to hire a wine critic? It may be because the manufacturer wants to get an unbiased opinion on a new variety or an advertising agency wants to find out the public’s reaction to a particular brand and variety, new or old. Sometimes restaurants may request a wine critic to find out what professionals think of a new wine variety they are considering offering to customers. There are many different reasons why someone might engage the services of a wine critic.

If you’re looking to become a wine critic, you will first need to learn about the different wines and what is expected from them .You need the flavor, aroma and general appearance of the wine in order to be a critic for a particular wine. Once you have some experience or at least extensive knowledge, you can begin selling your services to organizations that hire wine critics or use their services in other ways.

Tempranillo - Wine of nostalgia

我原本還想打中文的...打到一半才記起自己打了英文，造就了這中英並舉的一篇...

沒有想過西班牙的坦普瑞尼洛會有給我如此驚喜。當然環境和氣氛也記一功，可是這浪漫柔弱的光線可令我看不清真正的酒名，否則我必定購一箱回家。

中等酒身，沒有太多長腳。寶石紅在光下特別醉人...還是酒不醉人人自醉?
入口很醇，像是有木屑跟雪茄味，長久回味，可陳年數年。就是這回味喝過後教人神往，零星碎片的泛起很多求學時的片段。真不愧為貴族葡萄 - 西班牙的里奧哈葡萄

同意以少許雲呢拿作結實在是畫龍點睛。究竟是我醉了覺得這酒很美，還是它真的很美，我也分不清了...需要分得清嗎?

平凡永遠有驚喜: 它可是一杯House Wine 呢. 有幾多人願意將美酒降價?

後話: 如果不想喝醉，還是慢慢品嚐比較好，否則就要靠薑茶解酒了...
如有更好的方法，請分享。

Never imagine the 2007 Tempranillo is giving me this surprise. Of course, the occassion and the night pub atmosphere help contributing some. Unfortunately owing to this same dim light that I could not recall the name of this wine, otherwise I'll get one home.

Clear medium body, not too much tears. Ruby red, looks elegant. Or just that I am tipsy? Everything surrounding it make the wine an elegance.

With a smooth palate and oaky, tobascco after taste, it brought me to the nostalgic moments. Need not to be sentimental, just bits and pieces of snapshot in Uni. No wonder it is the Noble grape - Rioja in Spain.

Agree that hint of vanilla makes the finest ending pitch to the wine. It's me being nostalgic? or is the wine? Can't distinguish now.

What looks ordinary turns out to have extraordinary result: It's a house wine. $65 / glass, $580 / bottle

ps. Wine is for slow tasting, otherwise will get drunk easily, this will then be replaced by ginger tea next morning. Feel free to share if you know more alcohol detoxication.

A Hong Kong Guide book with a misconception

Passed by Fenwick Pier for Vero, just picked up a booklet called "Guide to Hong Kong 2010" by fenwickpier.com for sailors.

Picked a few points which I found it controversial. Please let me know if these are true:

Casual Pickups: Casual pick-up in bars are a major source of disease. The girls themselves may be unaware they are disease carriers. THey do not go to clinics for regular check-ups.

Massage parlors: IF you want a massage, there are wholesome places to go. But if the sign says Japanese, French, Thai or other exotic kinds of massage, or if they enclose you in a private room, you will be flirting with danger.

Taxis: During the past few years we have had many sailors victimized by unscrupulous taxi drivers who wait outside of Fenwick Pier for a sucker. Their meters are running from a previous ride and some sailors have paid them as much as ten times the true fare. Be careful!

What kinda places are they recommending and how has Hong Kong being described as in these tourists' mind now...ridiculous!!!

Chic Wine - 1 Wine

1 Wine...looks familiar? or you don't even give a glance...?
Convenience store, there must be one next to you or me.

1 Wine, is one of the little plastic bottle of chic wine, displaying on the rack, red, white, blue, do they catch your attention?

Understanding that screw cap and oak cork has been the controversial debate over the century, however seems in general nobody is in doubt whether the glass bottle shall be replaced by other materials. 1 Wine is one of the revolutionary wine no matter in packaging, the market that it is trying to get in.

NEW drinking habit, NEW occasion, NEW consumer. This is what 1Wine is pursuing. Let's try.

$12 for a bottle. Fair price. First sip of 1Rouge...sorry ... like medicine... could hardly find tannin, believe it's due to lost of capability to further undergo the fermentation and oxidation in the plastic bottle? plastic cap doesn't seem vaccum enough. I still can tell this is Merlot, though very faint. Prudent choice then to get it from Languedoc, at least, nobody blame why the Merlot character not strong enough ;)

Anyhow, Netherland's revolution, I'll give you a second chance.

Source: 7-eleven
Price: $12