For several years now we have sold Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Blanc de blancs in 187ml cans. The packaging is excellent, cute pink cans, 4 of which fit into a lovely pink and silver box. These are great for picnics, wine by the glass, and mini bars in particular. They are by no means mainstream however.
There is however the age old problem of traditional 750ml bottles of wine. When one glass will suffice, the whole bottle has to be opened, and consumed within a reasonable time frame. Half bottles are a great solution to this if you want two+ glasses – but are not as popular as one might think. So when we came across this article on Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir in a can becoming available, the idea is great. But I wonder how it would do in Hong Kong!
http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2013/11/pinot-noir-in-a-can-launched/
Corked wine can be devastating. You get home after a long day at work, and you can not wait for a glass of that nice cold bottle of chardonnay in the fridge. Then… it’s corked. Some people are more sensitive than others, meaning the taint is overwhelming to me, but not to someone else – they can simply enjoy the wine.
This bottle of chardonnay however was indeed odd. It was not the wet wool aroma that I typically associate with corked wine, but a dull nose and an off taste. I knew it was TCA but could not work out why I knew that. Thankfully science agrees with me!
There is far too much good wine in the world to be drunk – don’t bother drinking a corked bottle. We at Golden Gate Wine replace it no questions asked.
This great article by Clinton Stark really is very interesting, and is true in the Hong Kong market as in the US it would seem. http://www.wineindustryinsight.com/ex_nf.php?url=http://www.starkinsider.com/2013/09/winemaker-viewpoint-wine-ratings-video.html
In Hong Kong, people really are split as to what they believe. Some will inevitably ask the points of a certain wine, others will be insulted if you offer it up. It is difficult to know which person will do which. What’s the answer? Offer the information if asked for.
Then the question of which critics points are more valuable comes up. Is one critic or magazine more credible than another? Many would say yes.
The 100 points system seems to reign strong here in Hong Kong. Rarely do the 20 point, or star systems get referred to.
One thing we know for sure – when Leonetti Reserve received 100 points from Robert Parker a couple of months ago – we sold out within a week!
Washington makes some amazing wines. The climate is very unique, and so the wines that it produces are clean, bright, with slightly higher acid, amazing to age, and drink with or without food. They are very different to their Californian counterparts – that’s for sure. We started bringing them to Hong Kong many years ago, and are now proud to have the likes of Leonetti, L’Ecole 41, Quilceda Creek, Hedges, Seven Hills and Pacific Rim. So we support all efforts to spread the word of these amazing wines in Hong Kong!
Chris Howell from Cain Vineyards gave a great interview with Brad Haskel. We had the pleasure of hosting him here in Hong Kong last year. He is a very eloquent man, and a delight to learn from. Read Part 1 of their interview below, his comments on wine making at Cain are particularly interesting.
Californian Sauvignon Blanc comes in all shapes and sizes. It is impossible to pigeon hole the entire state production.
Grape ripeness is one contributor. Grassy, with citrus notes like the Foppiano Sauvignon Blanc, or melon and peach notes like the famous Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc.
Wine making also contributes, for example Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc is barrel aged.
The Hong Kong market is still overwhelmed by a desire for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but don’t forget the diversity and quality of a Californian Sauvignon Blanc!
We can not wait to get our hands on a copy of the new Jancis Robinson and Linda Murphy book all about American wine. As American wine specialists based here in Hong Kong we have the pleasure to be offered wines from around the USA, but did you know that EVERY state in the US makes wine?
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/dailydish/la-dd-american-wine-new-book,0,4330434.story
Have you read it?
We really enjoyed ourselves, and were really surprised by the result of our blind tasting USA vs. France wine dinner. Guests were asked to choose their favourite, and to guess which wine came from which country. We selected wines of the same vintage, and of a similar price to make the ‘competition’ fair.
Here are the results:
J. Schram 2004 vs. Cristal 2004
Guests were stumped with almost 50% of them guessing the country of origin wrong. 80% preferred the J. Schram.
Freeman Ryo-Fu Chardonnay 2010 vs. Domaine Blain-Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 2010
Our guests found this one a little easier with 90% guess country of origin correctly, but only 60% chose the Chassagne Montrachet as their favourite. Our owner Toby Marion being one of them!
Merry Edwards Meredith Estate 2009 vs. Louis Jadot Vosne Romanee “Les Suchots” 2009
Approximately 70% of our guests guessed the country of origin correctly, but it was 50/50 for preference.
Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 vs. Chateau Pichon Lalande 2006
Again, about 70% of our guests guessed the country of origin correctly, but amazingly almost 90% preferred the Far Niente – wow!
Dolce 2007 vs. Chateau Rieussec 2007
80% got the country of origin right for this round, and over 60% preferred the Dolce. The price difference must be noted in this round, as this French wine was about half the price of the American.
So in summary, we were completely surprised by the results! We hope this is a step towards showing that American wines are truly great value for money.
We often get asked the question about American wines having high Sulphur Dioxide content. This a great article on why winemakers use it!
We are so excited today! One of our favourite winemakers, that we very proudly distribute here in Hong Kong, has won the James Beard award for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer 2013. Merry Edwards is truly a pioneer for females in the wine industry, and an incredible winemaker – it is a well deserved honour. Congratulations Merry!
Golden Gate Wine 