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DINNER AND A SHOW At the FIP Snow Polo World Cup 2012 held in Tianjin, officials, players and spectators enjoyed a series of extraordinary wine dinners During the inaugural FIP Snow Polo World Cup held from 2 to 12 February in Tianjin, China, Tianjin Goldin Metropolitan Polo Club Hotel hosted a series of seven dinners featuring wines from top estates, as well as spectacular entertainment throughout the evening. ‘The idea of these wine dinners, like the Metropolitan Polo Club itself, is about bringing a high-quality lifestyle to Tianjin,’ explained Harvey Lee, vice-chairman of the hotel’s parent company Goldin Group. ‘The Snow Polo World Cup provides chukka after chukka of thrilling action in the afternoon. After a day’s excitement, nothing comes better than good food and wine.’ Featured wine estates of the dinners included Goldin Group’s own Pan Estate in Napa Valley (previously Sloan Estate) and Bordeaux’s Château
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Latour, Château Angelus, Château Cheval Blanc, Château d’Yquem, Château Cos d’Estournel, Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Palmer. The menus were prepared by Edward Voon, the young executive chef of Le Pan at Metropolitan Polo Club Hotel, whose long list of accolades include ‘World Culinary Master’ and being named by Restaurant magazine as one of the top 10 most innovative chefs around the world. The menus incorporated an ancient Oriental five-element concept (metal, wood, water, fire and earth). Chef Voon explained, ‘These five elements not only represent the basic elements of our life but they also signify holistic well-being. According to Chinese feng shui, the five elements must be balanced in order to achieve good health and good fortune.’ A typical five-element menu includes
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courses such as gold ingot-pressed foie gras with passion fruits (metal); roast venison loin with tubers (wood); line-caught striped bass à la plancha’ (water); charcoal-grilled master wagyu (fire); and chocolate in different preparations and served with winter truffles (earth). Wines for the dinners were expertly paired by Francesco Lee, president of wine venture at Goldin, in consultation with the châteaux. ‘In order to link up and showcase the five courses, wine of the highest quality is imperative. Being a wine enthusiast myself, I am more than excited to meet this challenge of finding the most suitable châteaux as well as doing the wine pairing,’ said Lee. Indeed, Metropolitan Polo Club has such close relationships with Bordeaux châteaux that this was already the second time for Château Latour, Château Cos
