Wine Times Hong Kong Issue 9

July 2015

Issue 9 FREE

TOP 10

Cava 十大頂尖 西班牙Cava

Visiting Priorat:

Clos de L’Obac 出走西班牙： Priorat產區的 Clos de L'Obac酒莊

The Land of Raul Bobet – Castell d’Encus

Castell d'Encus酒莊— Raul Bobet的天與地

the creativity forge

Drink Up, Hong Kong! 香港飲勝！

Ali Nicol Founder of Wine Times Hong Kong

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A local Hong Konger who has been working in the wine business for over 15 years. Obviously loves wine and wants to share all the lovely wines with everyone.

ell it’s July and that can only really mean one thing; holidays! School’s out for summer which means wine loving parents will either be drinking a lot more (depending on how well behaved your kids are) or drink a lot less and heading off to places afar for a bit of rest, relaxation and maybe even a detox!

June was another crazy, busy month in the wine industry with tastings, dinners and winemaker events a plenty and saw visits from iconic winemakers from around the globe such as Geoff Merrill (Australia), Etienne Hugel (Alsace, France) and Raul Bobet (Spain). We took the time to taste as many of their wines that we could while we were there and managed to get an exclusive interview with Spanish winemaker Raul Bobet which you can read about in our pages this month.

Our July issue is dedicated to all things Spanish. It’s no secret that Spanish wines are dear to our heart and after our trip to Barcelona we decided to recount our trip to Gratallops, Priorat and our visit to Clos de L’Obac. We also tell you a little more about the world-class wine bar and fine dining restaurant Monvinic which we visited while in Barcelona too.

This month, we have a superstar line-up of winemakers including (as aforementioned) Raul Bobet of Castell d’Encus, Norrel Robertson MW of El Escocés Volante and the legendary Alejandro Fernandez of

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Ribera del Duero’s Pesquera. We also take a look at our favourite Spanish eateries in Hong Kong and recommend some great places to go for a taste of Spain in the city.

Our Top 10 this month is a sparkling one! This month we have tracked down our Top 10 Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), a wine that is perfect for summer drinking and on the whole is more affordable and a little bit more interesting that the usual sparkling wines we drink on a regular basis. Cava is not particularly popular in the city as yet, we hope we can persuade you to give it a try next time you see it on the menu.

Of course, check out some of the great events that are going on in town this month on our events pages and log onto our website www.winetimeshk.com for the full list and further details of the events.

July is never usually a busy wine month as so many of you are away on holiday – but this year there seems to be a lot more than usual so go check it out!

So, we hope you enjoy or Spanish dominated issue and hope that it inspires you to get up, get out and grab some of the great Spanish wines we have available to us in the city. Then, on the weekend, live like a Catalan and head out to one of the great Spanish restaurants we have here and indulge in an afternoon of tapas and fine wine – or just litres of Sangria in the sun; whatever takes your fancy!

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月來到就是代表着假期的來臨！學生開 始放暑假，也就是喜愛葡萄酒的家長們 可以多喝一點(這視乎子女是乖巧抑或反叛)， 也有人可能會少喝一點，準備到國外旅行放鬆 放鬆，甚至可算是排毒！ 六月又是另一個不讓人喘息的月份，酒界的試 酒會、葡萄酒晚宴、釀酒師活動多不勝數，更 有幾位來自世界各地、具代表性的釀酒師到訪 香港，包括澳洲的Geoff Merrill、法國Alsace 產區的Etienne Hugel，以及西班牙的Raul Bobet。我們嚐盡他們釀造的美酒，同時也邀 得西班牙釀酒師Raul Bobet與之訪問，讀者 可查看細閱相關報道。 我們的七月號以西班牙作為主題。西班牙葡萄 酒在我們心目中不只佔有一席位，而到訪過巴 塞隆拿，我們決定敘述到訪Priorat產區位於 Gratallops小區的Clos de L’Obac酒莊的點 滴。我們也為讀者推介位於巴塞隆拿、屬世界 級的葡萄酒酒吧Monvinic。 本月WTHK雜誌訪問到的釀酒師可謂「粒粒 皆星」，包括Castell d’Encus酒莊的Raul Bobet、El Escocés Volante酒莊的Norrel Robertson MW，以及Ribera del Duero 產區Pesquera酒莊的傳奇人物Alejandro Fernandez。 此外，我們也向讀者推介吃西 班牙菜的好去處，使你身在香港，而心可以飄 到遠方的西班牙去… 而在《十大頂尖西班Cava》的報道中，我們 為讀者介在炎夏值得一喝，而又負擔得起的 Cava，可能比起慣常喝到的氣泡酒更加新奇 有趣呢。雖然Cava在香港並不流行，但我們 希望可藉此鼓勵你多嚐嚐於你而言新的葡萄酒 呢。想要參與城中各項品酒活動，必定要留 意我們的品酒日曆，而瀏覽我們的網站www. winetimeshk.com可取得更新更多的有關資 訊。七月原本非為酒界繁忙的月份，但似乎今 年還算「旺場」，即管查看一下吧。 最後，我們希望你喜歡以西班牙為主題的 WTHK雜誌，也希望你可以放膽試試更多來自 西班牙的美酒，就像個當地人一樣，整個下午 在吃西班牙小吃，和喝上好的佳釀，又或是在 太陽底下喝上幾公升的Sangria也不錯啊。 (Christie Chan譯) Contact us via email at md@winetimeshk.com

Contents 目錄

p7 Clos de L’Obac

2 Drink Up, Hong Kong!

Hello Wine World 4 走進酒世界

香港飲勝！

7 Visiting Priorat: Clos de L’Obac

出走西班牙： Priorat產區的Clos de L'Obac酒莊

The Land of Raul Bobet – 13 Castell d’Encus Castell d'Encus酒莊— Raul Bobet的天與地

16 “Join us for Tasting” The Wine Doctor: 19

Private Panel: Sherries 「私伙」飲食擂台：西班牙雪利酒

p13 Quest from Castell d’Encus

Swaps Wine for a taste of local HK Beer 酒博士專欄： 一嚐本地手工啤酒之新口味

20 Monvinic; Barcelona’s Best Wine Bar by Far 巴塞隆拿最佳葡萄酒酒吧— Monvinic

From Scotland to Spain: 22 Norrel Robertson of El Escocés Volante 從蘇格蘭走到西班牙： 釀酒師Norrel Robertson

24 July's Wine Events “Un Giro d’Italia” 26 Discover the Unknown Italy 探索未知國度：意大利的葡萄寶庫

29 Top 10 Cava

Spanish Eats in Hong Kong 36 本地西班牙美食之選

品酒日曆－七月份

十大頂尖西班牙Cava

38 Winemaker Chat – Alejandro Fernández of Pesquera 釀酒師訪問：Pesquera酒莊的 Alejandro Fernández

p16 Tasting Sherries

Wine Times Macau: 41

Three Old Men; Four Old Wines 澳門：三個「佬」 四枝酒

44 Whine-On: Ask us whatever you like!

Recruitment 48 in the wine business

讀者專欄：想問就問！

行業人才招聘

p36 Spanish Eats in HK winetimeshk.com 3

Christie Chan Editor of Wine Times Hong Kong Almost an alcoholic who thinks the fun part of life starts getting unlocked when you drink. On first impression is not into girly-ness and sweetness; but spirits and liquors.

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ola amigos! I’m glad the July issue is out as I consider this issue as the very first special edition of Wine Times Hong Kong because the entire magazine is dedicated to Spain.

Unlike last month when we wanted to dedicate the whole issue to organic and natural wine however it ended up making us bored and so we halt the plan, I think we did it this time – everything’s Spain related and most importantly everything’s interesting! I hope our readers feel the same and enjoy reading it while sipping on a nice Spanish red or Cava. (Yes now you know my preference on Spanish wines.)

While Ali was relaxing under the sun on the beach in Barcelona, I was stuck here in Hong Kong with heavy rain for a couple of days.

What a contrast! Though I’m feeling a little jealous, I did my work – an Interview with German Wine Queen Janina Huhn during her visit to Hong Kong for Riesling Weeks in early June. Still haven’t read the interview report yet? You can always visit our website and check it out anytime!

As I always do, I like to share with our readers what I’ve drunk recently that is worth mentioning or recommending. On a weekend last month two of my girlfriends and I had a girls’ night at home so we bought some beers and ciders, a bottle of Moscato and a bottle of sweet wine form the supermarket for a fun night ahead. (Though I wrote “girly-ness and sweetness is not my thing” in my bio, it’s a girls’ night after all; I drink whatever contains alcohol!) I like Bulmers Original Irish Cider which you can find natural characters of apples in it. It has the aromas and sweetness of apple, nothing more and nothing less. Next time when you are going on a picnic you can have a try on this lovely cider. In spite of having something nice, I had something really bad that I had to advice you all not to buy it – Spanish sweet wine Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro. I’m sorry but I have to tell the truth; it’s been a long time since the last time I drank a terrible wine like this. It’s super-duper sweet without any pleasing aromas.

Let’s forget about the Spanish sweet wine for a moment and take a look at something much more beautiful. This month Ali and I headed out for a report on Sherries, an original product from Jerez, Spain.

Want to know more about it? Turn to the pages and enjoy a glass of Sherry when reading. Cheers!

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¡H

ola amigos!(西班牙語：朋友們，你好！)WTHK七月號的 出版令我特別高興，因為這可算是我們的第一份特刊—整 本雜誌圍繞着西班牙為主題。與上月不一樣，我們本想六月號以 有機天然葡萄酒作為主題，可惜連我們也認為這主題不太吸引， 結果放棄了原定計劃；不過，我覺得今次我們成功了—所有文 章除了與西班牙有關外，更重要的是內容精彩有趣，至少我們也 樂在其中！我希望讀者們也有同感，在讀着WTHK的「西班牙特 刊」的同時，喝上一、兩杯西班牙紅酒或Cava，不亦樂乎？(現 在你該知道我對西班牙葡萄牙的喜好了。) 當Ali身在巴塞隆拿的沙灘上曬着日光浴時，可憐的我卻要在香 港忍受着一連數天的大雨。兩者的對比真大呢！我不否認我有 點羨慕與妒嫉，但我也有好妥我 的工作—與新一屆的德國葡萄 酒女王(German Wine Queen) Janina Huhn進行訪問。她為了 六月初的Riesling Week而來港 進行宣傳，碰巧Ali不在港，於 是由我與之訪問。還未閱過我的 訪問報道？你在任何時候也可到 我們的網站看看的！ 我常常在此分享個人的酒評，因 我喜歡興讀者分享最近喝過而又 認為值得一提或推介的酒品，算 是交流心得的一種。上月的某個 週末，我和兩個姊妹在家舉行「 女生之夜」，於是到超級市場 買了些啤酒和Cider (蘋果氣酒) ，還有一瓶Moscato及一瓶甜 酒，預備過盡慶的一晚。(雖然 我在自述文字中指「女孩子的和 甜的都不是『我杯茶』」，但這 晚始終是「女生之夜」；只要是 有酒精的飲料，我也會喝的！) 我頗喜歡來自愛爾蘭的Bulmers Original Cider，主要因為它擁有天然蘋果的特質，其香氣、甜 度與酸度也十足十像一個蘋果。不過，嚐到好東西之餘，難免也 會「中伏」，那便是西班牙甜酒Torres Floralis Moscatel Oro， 奉勸各位購買前三思。雖然這樣說有點太過份，但我還是要說出 我的感受：我忘了有多久喝到這麼難喝的葡萄酒了。這酒甜得讓 喉嚨苦掉，是難以忍受的「死甜」，其香味也像濃縮糖分而欠缺 任何吸引人的香氣。 暫且把這酒忘記，我和Ali為讀者準備了更好的推介，就是同樣 來自西班牙Jerez產區的雪利酒(Sherry)！想知道更多有關雪利 酒的資訊？立即翻到該頁，細閱我們的報道，也嚐嚐雪利酒吧。 飲杯！

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Visiting Priorat: Clos de L’Obac 出走西班牙： Priorat產區的 Clos de L'Obac酒莊

Text & Photography by Ali Nicol 譯文：Christie Chan 攝影：Alin Nicol

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6:30am wake-up call is never a particularly good thing but when you are blessed with the Barcelona morning sunshine streaming through your window it’s hard not to be as excited as a child in a sweet shop as one enthusiastically leaps out of bed (actually, that’s a complete lie as after the night out in La Rambla the night before, every sinew in your body is screaming ‘get back into bed and go back to sleep’!)

But Priorat bound we were and after fighting our way through Barcelona rush-hour we found ourselves on a train heading to Marçà-Falset and to the mountains of Priorat to visit the Pastrana family and their – as we would find out – quite stunningly beautiful winery Clos de L’Obac.

Marçà -Falset is where to get off if you are to head to the region and is a sleepy little station serving Marçà and Falset, the latter being the centre of governance for the Priorat and Montsant region. After finding our bearings and being met by Carles Pastrana we found ourselves on the winding mountain road that would lead to, in due course, a day of olfactory stimulation in one of the most breathtaking surroundings on earth.

Carles and wife Mariona moved to Gratallops, Priorat in 1979 when they were just 27 and 19 respectively and truly are one of the founding pioneers of the regions. It’s hard to imagine what life was like when they first arrived there as even the road that we took to Gratallops was only fully constructed in 1989! Passing by the vineyards of mostly Garnacha on the way to the sleepy little village with a population of just 220 you really get the feeling of being in wine country. And then there they are, the iconic Llaberia Mountain ranges proudly signalling our arrival at Clos de L’Obac and a sign you have arrived in the heart of the quality Priorat wine region.

A tour of the winery and cellar shows just how much of a family operation Clos de L’Obac really is. There is a minimalist approach to the winery with snippets of opulence such as their museum and

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tasting room which are truly works of art and an outstanding place to drink wine in.

Heading out to visit some of the famed vineyards, you can see how many new wineries are popping up annually. Today there are 24 wineries in Gratallops – by the end of the year there will 28; not bad for a village with a population of 220! We visited their 300 year old vineyard hosting vines that are 70 to 80 years old which is possibly the steepest vineyard in the area on a 45 degree slope of blue slate which when walking within it, you get an idea of how difficult vineyards such as these are to harvest; think scree running with 15-20 kilo baskets of grapes!

One of the amazing ways that the family makes its wines is that the grapes are all sorted in the vineyards during the harvest.

This Guillem (son of Carles and Mariona) assures me is unique to the region (and to winemaking on the whole) but does mean that only the very best grapes make

要

在清晨6:30醒來並非易事，但如果被巴 塞隆拿的陽光喚醒，起床就如小孩走進 糖果店一樣，咧嘴大笑且急不及待起來。(事 實上，這完全是一個謊話，因昨晚在市中心熱 鬧的街道La Rambla狂歡過後，身上每一塊肌 肉都在大叫：「快回到床上睡覺！」) 出發往Marçà–Falset及Priorat山脈之前，我 們先要忍受巴塞隆拿人山人海的繁忙時段， 步步為艱地到達了火車站，前往Pastrana的 家與之共聚，同時也到訪他們的酒莊Clos de L’Obac，還未到埗前也不發覺酒莊可以如此 壯麗。 如果要到Priorat區，那你該在Marçà–Falset 站下車。顧名思義，無論你往Marçà或是Falset，均需在這個沉睡的小車站下車，而後者 更是Priorat及Montsant地區的政府據地。拿 好行李後，Carles Pastrana前來接待我們前 往酒莊。在一路的蜿蜒山路上，我們的視覺及 嗅覺享受極致，一邊嗅着植物的清新，一邊望 着地球上最令人驚嘆的景色之一。 Carles與其妻子Mariona在1979年遷到Priorat的Gratallops區，當時他們分別為27歲和 19歲，更是這個產區當時的「開荒牛」。就 連駛進Gratallops的道路在1989年才被建造 好，真的難以想像他們當時何以遷往這區！ 經過沿途多個以種植Garnacha葡萄為主的葡 萄園後，我們終於來到這個只有220人的村

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it to the winery and thus can be pressed immediately. The family vineyards are farmed organically (the vines look super healthy) and everything in the winery is designed with gravity in mind; thus there is minimal intervention when it comes to the final product.

Walking the vineyards gave us a good appetite and thus we took lunch in the family’s Clos de L’Obac restaurant in the village. The restaurant proprietors are actually from Valencia and thus they make some excellent Paella! Taking a few bottles of wine from the cellar to the restaurant, we sat down with

the family for a fantastic meal; a Kyrie 2007 & 2008 (their exceptional white wine which less than 2000 bottles are made annually), Clos de L’Obac 2000 & 2010, Misere 2004 & 2007 and a bottle of their beautiful ‘sweet’ wine, Dolç de L’Obac 2008.

Wine is truly a medium for sociability and we spent the best part of the afternoon eating some exceptional Spanish food whilst chatting about all things wine (and much more about things not about wine!) On the whole, the day was a wondrous one and an experience that will honestly never be forgotten. The Pastrana family

莊，真真正正感受到自己身處在一個葡萄酒 國家。瞭望着宏偉的拉貝里亞山脈(Serra de Llaberia)，我們已來到了Clos de L’Obac酒 莊，也代表着我們來到了出產優質Priorat葡 萄酒的中心地。 參觀過Clos de L’Obac酒莊及其酒窖後，深 刻感受到它是如何由家族經營及打理。酒莊採 用極簡主義，但其博物館及品酒室則帶點華麗 而具藝術氣息，絕對是品嚐美酒佳釀的好地 方。 前往當中一些著名葡萄園的路上，我們途經不 少新的酒莊，這些新酒莊的數目正一年又一年 地增長。目前，Gratallops地區有24個酒莊， 年底更會增至28個，對一個只有220人的村莊 而言實在厲害！我們參觀了一個具300年歷史 的葡萄園，其葡萄藤年齡介乎70至80年，而 且被種植在傾斜45度的藍色板岩(blue slate) 山坡上，這更可能是全區最斜的山坡。一邊 走着，你不難想像到農夫如何艱辛地收成葡 萄—背着15至20公斤的葡萄，更要在滿佈碎 石的斜坡上走動！ Pastrana家族生產葡萄酒的方式令人驚訝， 他們在收成葡萄的同時進行分類！Carles與 Mariona的兒子Guillem向我指出，對這個產 區來說，此種做法很獨特(整體來說對釀酒業 也不常見)，能夠確保最品質最優良的葡萄才 有機會被運送至酒莊，隨後便可立即壓榨葡 萄。另外，他們在葡萄園採用有機耕種法(葡 萄藤看起來生長得非常健康)，酒莊內的一切 均考慮到地心吸力而被設計，儘量以自然的方 式釀造葡萄酒，並對最終成品產生的干預降至 最少。 走動一番後令人食慾大增，於是我們到了同屬 他們家的Clos de L’Obac餐廳吃午飯。餐廳 老闆來自華倫西亞(Valencia)，因此煮得一手 美味非常的西班牙海鮮飯(Paella)！在我們與 Pastrana一家坐下來共享午餐之前，我們從 餐廳酒窖內挑選了幾瓶美酒以配襯美食，包括 Kyrie 2007和2008 (這款優質白酒的年產量少 於2,000枝)、Clos de L’Obac 2000和2010 、Misere 2004和2007，還有一枝甜酒佳釀 Dolç de L’Obac 2008。

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are welcoming and a lot of fun and make some of the best wines we have tried from Priorat. It was a privilege to spend time with Carles and his family and there is no doubt we will return in due course.

After the extensive lunch, we headed back to Tarragona for an evening of beer and tapas with Guillem Pastrana who was kind enough to give us a guided tour of the city he calls home – although he spends 3 to 4 days a week working in the winery alongside his day job in town. Gratallops and Tarragona are certainly areas of outstanding natural beauty and we highly recommend anyone who heads to Spain to give the region a visit.

If you can’t make it to Spain but want a taste of Gratallops then all you need to do is pick up a couple of bottles of Clos de L’Obac. The wines are fantastic – but find a nice setting in Hong Kong to appreciate them as nothing will ever come close to looking out over vineyards and the mountains while tasting the wines.

Clos de L’Obac wines are available from Vignette du Vin in Hong Kong (+852 2681 2888). For more information contact Paolo on

paolo.ponghellini@vignetteduvin. com or Apex Lau on apex.lau@ vignetteduvin.com (Disclaimer: Whilst the lunch and the wine and the overall experience were provided by Carles Pastrana and his family – for which we are entirely grateful – all travelling, hotel and other expenses were paid for

by Wine Times Hong Kong)

葡萄酒的確是種社交催化劑，我們一邊吃着喝 着西班牙的佳餚美酒，一邊聊着所有關於葡萄 酒的話題(和更多其他的事！)。雖然整個下午 悄悄流走，但當天共度的美好時光及經歷卻難 以被忘懷。Pastrana一家熱情好客，個性有 趣，更釀造出Priorat產區中部分最好的葡萄 酒，能夠與之共聚實在使我們樂透了，我們更 也期待再次到訪此地。 在這頓豐富的午飯後，我們折返回到Tarragona，準備大喝啤酒並大吃佐酒的西班牙小 吃(tapas)，而友好的Guillem也希望一盡地 主之誼，特地抽空與我們同行，帶我們到處 遊覽。(他稱這個城市為「家」，不過其實他 每星期在酒莊工作3至4天，日間便在城裏工 作。) Gratallops及Tarragona的天然景色優 美，值得我們向有意到西班牙旅行的讀者推 薦。 假如你未能抽空到此一遊，而又想嚐到 Gratallops的味道，你只要喝喝Clos de L’Obac酒莊的葡萄酒便行了。葡萄酒本是美 酒，若再加上香港擁有的美景，我們便更能好 好享受了—雖然怎也比不上邊喝着葡萄酒， 邊看着葡萄園及山脈的那種愜意。 Clos de L’Obac酒莊出產的葡萄酒於本港酒 零售商Vignette du Vin有售(聯絡電話：2681 2888)。如欲獲取更多詳情，請電郵到paolo. ponghellini@vignetteduvin.com 與Paolo聯 絡，或apex.lau@vignetteduvin.com與Apex Lau聯絡。 (聲明：上述提到的午餐、葡萄酒，以及參 觀酒莊的行程均由Carles Pastrana一家所款 待，我們對此心存感激，然而機票、住宿及其 他旅費均由Wine Times Hong Kong支付。)

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pa s s i O n f O r w i n e c O m e s f r O m t h i s l a n d :

t h e m ag n i f i c e n t h i l l s i n t h e p r Ov i n c e O f

trevisO.

Since 1772 the grape vines was cultivated in the upper hills surrounding the province of Treviso, between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, positioned at an equal distance between the Dolomites and Adriatic sea.

The combination of the altitude, which is between 100 and 500 metres, above sea level, and the very steep slopes, affect positively the microclimate of the area: the landscape is unique and has been nominated as a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE. The Moschetta family has been cultivating these impracticable hills with dedication since the 19th century and, from the start of new millennium, Elena and Enrico well interpreted sparkling wine, now continuing the vivid concept of sustainable farming, technology and human labour in the new winery on the hill of Ogliano.

S.S. Agricola Via Crevada, 9/1 Tel. 0039.0438.801098

31020 San Pietro di Feletto (T V) - ITALY

Fax 0039.0438.902000

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N UOVA CANTI NA a Ogliano, Strada Calderara - 31015 Conegliano (T V) - ITALY

The Land of Raul Bobet – Castell d’Encus

Castell d'Encus酒莊—Raul Bobet的天與地 Text by Ali Nicol

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譯文：Christie Chan

Images 圖像: Castell d’Encus

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hilosopher, winemaker and as close to being a hermit as is humanly possible without being so, legendary winemaker Raul Bobet has chosen to spend most of his days alone; fastidiously perusing ways of making better wine in his mountain winery retreat, Castell d’Encus in the Costers del Segre D.O., in the Catalonia Pyrenees, very close to the French border.

One thousand-plus metres above sea level in the village of Talarn, Raul has the peace and tranquillity he needs to reflect on how to make the best wine possible.

The consummate perfectionist however does admit that it is a constant experiment – one that is far from being completed – to find the perfect style of wine suited to his winemaking prowess and that is a true reflection of his terroir and the effort he has put into each wine. “I think I need to live another 120 years to complete the experimentation because there are so many things I want to do”, Raul jokes; but the wish for this to be true is etched across his face – which is highly commendable as there are not many who freely admit that, although they already have what some would deem perfect, the constant strive to be better is something that is the driving force towards self-gratification and thus, true perfection in the eyes of the creator.

Taleia. We were drinking the 2013 vintage of what most would think would be a Bordeaux white – but it’s much fresher and cleaner than the average Bordeaux SBS; it has a chilling acidity that makes the wine extremely drinkable, a great aperitif and one not only suited entirely to the foods of Spain but also to slightly heavier foods you would normally not associate with white wines; the stone vat and oak fermentation giving the wines more body and complexity.

Raul found the site on which his winery stands in 2001 whilst looking

學家、釀酒師，甚至隱士，這些都是 Raul Bobet的身分。這位傳奇釀酒師 選擇孑然一身，埋首於位於西班牙Catalonia Pyrenees山脈，屬Costers del Segre D.O產 區而毗鄰法國邊界的Castell d’Encus酒莊， 專心鑽研釀酒方法，使自己的酒莊能夠出產更 多佳釀。 身處於一千多海拔之上的Talarn村莊，Raul得 以在平和、寧靜的環境下考究如何釀出最好的 葡萄酒。不過，這位精湛的完美主義者承認， 尋找最好的釀酒方法是一個恆常實驗，表示距 離實驗的終點還差很遠，要尋找到完美的葡萄 酒風格，所釀的葡萄酒需切合他的釀酒技術， 而且真實地反映酒莊的風土特色以及他為葡萄 酒所付的一切努力，確非一朝一夕能完成之 事。「我認為我需要再多活120年才能完成整 個釀酒實驗，因為我實在有太多想做的事了。 」Raul跟我們說笑，其臉上的皺紋說明了他 多希望這願望能成真。

“In each glass there is the taste of the landscape and the taste of the effort put into the wine”, Raul says as we taste through the full range of his wines at FoFo Privat during his most recent trip to Hong Kong, beginning with a delightful Sauvignon Blanc Semillon called

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對一個釀酒師而言，這是難能可貴的事，他釀 造出自覺完美的葡萄酒，卻也坦承尋找更加完 美的釀酒法需窮上多於一生的精力，單憑他為 釀酒力求上進而達到自我滿足，讓我們在他眼 中看到了真正的完美。 「在每杯葡萄酒中，散發着觀景的味道，也散 發着為葡萄酒所付努力的味道。」近日Raul 到訪香港，我們與之在西班牙餐廳FoFo Privat嚐嚐他所釀造整個系列的葡萄酒時，他說 出此番話。先嚐到的是名為Taleia的Sauvignon Blanc Semillon白酒，年份為2013年， 也許不少人喝到它會聯想到波爾多白酒，但比 起波爾多SBS更加清新，其口感更加清淨。這 酒的酸度能使人放鬆，極為容易入喉，是枝不 錯的餐前酒。它是枝適合配搭任何西班牙食物 的美酒，也出奇地與稍為濃味的食物配搭，你 大概不會想到白酒和濃味食物這一對吧。經過 在石製桶及橡木桶發酵後，酒體變得更厚重， 也帶有更多層次。 Raul希望找到一個不會過於受氣候影響的 地方釀酒，在偶然下來到於12世紀由Count Bernat所建的地方，於是在2001年購得該 地，將其建成酒莊。這塊土地曾於1151年被 捐贈予Order of Hospitalier的僧人，而他們 一直也居於此地至1752年，之後便遭到空置 為「可耕地」，直到Raul發現此地。

for a place to make wine that would not be overly affected by climate change and stumbled upon the property that was founded in the 12th century by Count Bernat; he in turn donated the property to the Order of Hospitalier monks in 1151. The monks remained on the property until 1752 and it was subsequently left “arable” until Raul’s exceptional discovery.

The most important discovery was the 12th century stone ‘lagares’; unique open stone fermentation vats that use gravity to gently press the grapes of the region. These were restored by Raul and he now uses them to make the incredible wines that come from Castell d’Encus.

These wines come from, on the whole, international grape varieties rather than indigenous Spanish varieties and Raul currently plants Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Rousanne and Albariño for the whites whilst also having vines of Syrah, Carignan, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Grenache Noir for the reds.

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Why the use of international varietals in a country where laws in the D.O.’s only permit specific varietals from Spain? Well, the Costers del Segre is large and diverse while regulation is more open than in other smaller or more homogenous D.O.’s and as there are so few wineries there so they can effectively benefit from greater flexibility and determine what they make their wines from. Raul says that this lack of regulation “is pretty loose”! But diplomatically notes that “you have to consider many things going forward though.”

The beauty of this ‘freedom to create’ is that wine lovers can now encounter a whole new experience in Spanish wine; a revolution if you will. Raul’s wines from Castell d’Encus are not pretentious; they are just a reflection of the terroir and his winemaking. The Ekam Riesling is almost to die for – there’s around 5% of botrytised Albariño in it and it just gives it something that many other cool climate Rieslings are missing; a flirtatious sweetness that draws the drinker nearer with

最大的發現便是建於12世紀的「酒廠」， 其使用獨特的非密封式的石桶為葡萄酒進行 發酵，並且以地心吸力輕輕地壓榨當地種植 的葡萄。Raul修復了這個「酒廠」，並以這 些古舊的設備釀造出Castell d’Encus的優 質佳釀。酒莊的葡萄酒以世界各地的葡萄品 種釀造，比西班牙本地葡萄品種要多，Raul 種植的白酒葡萄包括Riesling、Sauvignon Blanc、Rousanne和Albariño，而紅酒葡萄 則為Syrah、Carignan、Merlot、Cabernet Franc、Cabernet Sauvignon、Petit Verdot 和Grenache Noir。 西班牙法例列明D.O.產區只可生產特定西班牙 本地葡萄品種的葡萄酒，為何酒莊仍以世界各 地的葡萄品種釀酒？Costers del Segre產區 是個大而多元化的區，比起其他較小而均質的 D.O.產區，法例在執行上更加寬鬆，加上該區 的酒莊不多，因此享有更高彈性，可以自行選 擇種植及釀造何種葡萄酒。Raul指缺乏監管 乃「非常寬鬆」，但也同時補充說：「你需要 經多重考慮才能向前邁進」。 這種「創作自由」的存在令我們愛酒者能嚐到 不一樣的西班牙葡萄酒，甚至可謂西班牙葡萄 酒的革命。由Raul釀造、產自Castell d’Encus酒莊的葡萄酒並不造作，而只反映了該區 風土及釀酒成果的結合。當中的Ekam Riesling白酒最吸引我們，其有別於一般較冷氣候 地區的Riesling白酒，含有5%的Albariño貴 腐葡萄， 其誘人的甜引發飲者口腔中的的複 雜，讓人好奇這酒會是場怎樣的歷險。

as much excited intrigue as curious intrepidation.

Raul’s wines are all about freshness and for Raul that is all about “finding an equilibrium; a balance between tannins, aromas, proteins, acidity and alcohol – you need one equilibrium, just like cooking”. This philosophy is found in abundance in the reds of Castell d’Encus whose Acusp Pinot Noir 2013 delicate, ethereal and subtle with a silky entrance and a long structured finish whilst the Thalarn 2013 (a Syrah) shows the same vibrant acidity and freshness with minerality and notes of white pepper reflecting perfectly the cold ‘terroir’ and a large ageing and evolution potential that can only come from one winemaker; a house style if you like. The Bordeaux blend

Quest 2013 is intense whilst at the same time complex and obviously showing the freshness and delicacy fingerprint seen all through Raul’s wines but, like a fatigued infant, is ready to be put down for some time until it reaches its full potential.

We think there is a lot to look forward to from both the Costers del Segre and from Castell d’Encus itself. Are the wines fantastic right now? We think so! But could they be better? Evidently Raul thinks they can and this is no better summed up as he calmly says; “I am a perfectionist and a perfectionist never ends anything”.

Wines from Castell d’Encus are available in Hong Kong from Sens Wine Cellar

Raul所釀造的葡萄酒均重於清新感，他解 釋說：「釀酒講求尋找到一個平衡點，找到 單寧、香氣、蛋白質、酸度、酒精濃度的 平衡—你需要一個平衡點，就如烹飪煮食一 樣。」這種哲學深深體配於Castell d’Encus 酒莊的紅酒之中，而Acusp Pinot Noir 2013 給人的感覺細膩、空靈而微妙，入口細嫩絲 滑，餘韻長而帶層次，Thalarn 2013(Syrah 紅酒)的酸度同樣予人感覺充滿活力且清新， 當中的礦物及白胡椒正正反映了該產區寒冷風 土、曾經長時間陳擺和變化潛質的特質，只 有這一位釀酒師才能釀造出如此具有自家風格 的葡萄酒。混合Bordeaux葡萄品種的Quest 2013紅酒口感強烈而層次複雜，同時也明顯 嚐得到其清新，以及Raul為釀造所有美酒的 心血，就如一個疲憊的幼兒般，還是需要一段 時間睡覺才能快高長大。 我們認為，來自Costers del Segre產區及 Castell d’Encus酒莊的葡萄酒值得令人期 待；這些葡萄酒是美酒佳釀嗎？在我們眼中是 的！但它們能夠「更上一層樓」嗎？顯然易 見，Raul認為能夠，也沒有任何比他的總結 更好：「我是個完美主義者，而完美主義者永 不在任何事上劃上句號。」 Castell d’Encus酒莊的葡萄酒現於本港酒零 售商Sens Wine Cellar有售。

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“Join us for Tasting” Private Panel: Sherries

「私伙」飲食擂台：西班牙雪利酒 Each month we invite our readers to join us to taste wines from a particular country or area and take them out for dinner and ask for their real honest feedback. But this month we have decided to freshen up our pages thus we bring you this – Private Tasting Panel on Sherries – Spain related just like other pages throughout the entire magazine. We headed to Ham and Sherry (G/F, 1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai) to taste three different styles of Sherries imagining we were in a corner of Jerez in Wan Chai. Thus, one wine geek and one wine novice teamed up and so we hope you enjoy learning more about Sherries as well as reading easy understanding notes of the Sherries available in town.

Text & Photography by Ali Nicol &Christie Chan

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WTHK每期的《飲食擂台》均會邀請讀者， 與我們一同嚐盡某國家或地區的葡萄酒，並讓 他們寫下最真實的感受及酒評。不過，本月我 們決定搞搞新意思，為讀者送上《「私伙」飲 食擂台》：西班牙雪利酒—與今期其他版面 一樣與西班牙有關。我們到了位於灣仔的西 班牙餐廳暨酒吧Ham and Sherry(地址：灣 仔船街1-7號地下)，嚐嚐三款不同風格的雪利 酒，幻想置身於西班牙Jerez產區某酒吧的一 角。以WTHK的「酒界初哥與老鬼」聯手(指 的當然分別是Christie和Ali)，希望讀者能對 雪利酒長知識，也可以查看簡單易明的相關酒 評，並隨時喝得到供應予本港的雪利酒！ 圖文：Ali Nicol & Christie Chan

B

efore we get into what sherry is really all about and where you can get some great Sherries by the glass in Hong Kong let me give you a little history of the drink and the name – of course ‘Sherry’ is not the real name for the drink! Sherry is actually a fortified wine crafted in the Andalucian town of Jerez de la Frontera and is most commonly made from the Palomino grape.

The name ‘Sherry’ is simply as bastardisation of the name ‘Jerez’ (which is what it is called in Spain) as the English have always been the major consumers of the wine and thus the cunning linguists decided that it needed an English name and eventually Jerez became Sherry and for centuries it has been one of the most popular wines in the Kingdom.

These days Sherry’s popularity is waning as the younger generations shun the drink for more popular cocktails and wines that need no thought process to drink. Liqueurs also are taking over from Sherry’s original dominance with drinks such as Pimms #1 taking over from where

Fino Sherry used to dominate. This is not only seen in the U.K. but also in its native country of Spain where is has fallen out of favour with drinkers.

However, Hong Kong seems to be bucking that trend and a recent visit to Ham & Sherry proved that Sherry is making a resurgence in Hong Kong.

One of the staff there told us that Sherry sales are doing very well with people not only sampling different styles of Sherry in the chic and trendy eatery but are also consuming the delectable wine by the bottle these days too.

There is no doubt that Ham & Sherry is THE destination to be if you are looking for Sherry. All tastes are catered for with their ‘sherry by the glass’ list and their full list of Sherries is extravagantly mouthwatering to a wine geek like me who loves a good drop of the stuff.

Sherry comes in many different styles from super dry to super sweet (the super sweet versions use a different grape variety called Pedro Ximenez) starting at Fino which is dry and a great refreshing

在

我們解說雪利酒是何物，以及喝雪利酒 的好去處之前，讓我略略介紹其歷史及 其名稱──「雪利」並不是其真名！雪利酒實 際上是加烈的葡萄酒，產自西班牙西南部Andalusia自治區的Jerez de la Frontera城市， 而且常以Palomino葡萄所釀造。 簡單來說，「Sherry」是「Jerez」的別名(雪 利酒在西班牙就是稱為Jerez)，由於英國人為 雪利酒最主要的消費群，因此狡猾的語言學家 決定把這種酒重新命名，以英語Sherry取代西 班牙語Jerez，於是幾百年來雪利酒變成為英 國最流行的葡萄酒之一。 來到今天，雪利酒的人氣大跌，因年輕一族 較為偏好喝雞尾酒和「不需經思考」的葡萄 酒，而且如Pimms #1的Liqueur甜酒亦已取 代Fino Sherry成為主流酒品。這情況不僅只 出現在英國，雪利酒在起源地西班牙同樣漸漸 失去支持者。 不過，雪利酒在香港似乎逆流而上，我們到 Ham & Sherry一趟，發現雪利酒有機會「東 山再起」。店內一名員工向我們指出，雪利酒 的銷量大賣，食客除了來此點叫不同風格的雪 利酒飲用外，更有不少人購買一枝又一枝的雪 利酒。 如果你想喝點雪利酒，西班牙餐廳暨酒吧 Ham & Sherry定是必然的目的地，餐牌上的 winetimeshk.com 17

summer drink and one that pairs outstandingly with fresh seafood or even food with a touch of chili such as Thai food.

Moving up the scale there is Amontillado (still dry but exposed to some oxidation thus it goes a rather deeper colour), Oloroso (aged sherry which is dark and rich), Palo Cortado (aged three to four years in barrel and gives a lovely vibrant brown colour and wonderful aromas) to the sweetest, Pedro Ximenez varietal Sherry which is the sweetest of the lot; viscous, unctuous and downright delicious!

Sherry is mostly made using a ‘Solera’ system of aging the wine and needs something called a ‘flor’ to keep it from totally oxidising.

The flor is a cap of yeast that sits on the top of the wine to prevent it from completely oxidising and, as the wine passes through the Solera system it ages, colours, oxidises and matures leaving the style of sherry the house is looking for. To be honest, the way that it is made is far more complicated than actually just drinking the stuff so Christie and I headed down to Ham & Sherry for a taste of the wine – rather than just using Wikipedia to learn more about it; because as we all know, experience out-trumps all other ways of learning.

We wanted a range of Sherry so we opted for a Fino, a Palo Cortado and a Pedro Ximenez – just so we could savour the full spectrum of tastes of these wonderful wines.

食物選擇專為了「以每杯點叫的雪利酒」而 設，其「豪華」的雪利酒酒單更會令一眾葡萄 酒鍾情者興奮不已，由口味極為乾澀到極為香 甜的雪利酒皆任君選擇(這種極甜的雪利酒以 另一種名為Pedro Ximenez的葡萄釀造)。我 們先從Fino入手，它是一種口味乾澀而清新的 雪利酒，適合在夏日配以海鮮飲用，也與帶點 辣的泰國菜很配搭。 把口感乾澀到香甜的雪利酒排序，Fino之後 便是Amontillado(它同屬口味乾澀的風格， 不過其酒色因經過氧化而變得較深色)，然後 分別是Oloroso(經陳釀的雪利酒，酒色深而 口感豐富)和Palo Cortado(在木桶內釀上3至 4年，酒色呈亮眼的啡色，酒香美妙怡人)，最 後到以Pedro Ximenez葡萄釀造出口味極甜 的雪利酒：質感黏稠，味道甜膩但極為可口！ 大部分雪利酒以Solera系統來釀酒，並需要 一種名為「Flor」的東西來防止葡萄酒完全氧 化。Flor其實是置於葡萄酒之上的一層酵母， 阻隔空氣與葡萄酒的接觸，以防止其過度氧 化；而葡萄酒經過Solera系統，可以調整雪利 酒的陳釀年數、顏色、氧化及成熟程度。老實 說，了解雪利酒的釀造方法比起喝它複雜千百 萬倍，所以我們來到西班牙餐廳暨酒吧Ham & Sherry舉行獨家試酒會—總比上網查看維 基百科更加實際，因為我們都知道親身體驗勝 過所有其他學習方法。馬上來試試看吧！

Christie’s pick ♛ TOP 1

Tio Matteo Fino Sherry

22nd Ship “The Lost Ship” Palo Cortado

Nectar by Gonzalez Byass Pedro Ximenez

Christie: “That’s lemon skin in my mouth and it’s like a lemon version of gin and tonic. Like it! It’s dry and not sweet at all. It makes me think of drinking Sauvignon Blanc somehow. It has a nice acidity of fruits and I would like to have it as a hang out social drink.”

Christie：「像是檸檬皮在我的口 裏，也像是檸檬味的gin tonic。我喜 歡這口味！它乾澀不甜，不知為何令 我聯想起Sauvignon Blanc白酒，帶 有討喜的果酸。最適合『飲嘢傾偈』 時喝上一兩杯！」

Christie: “The aroma of this Sherry is much more enchanting than the previous one. It has the colour of orange tea that looks nice in the glass. This Sherry leaves a smooth mouth feel and stimulates my taste buds while the smokiness lingers in the palate.

Like it even better than the light Fino Sherry!”

Christie：「杯中散發着令人着迷的 香氣，比第一款雪利酒更吸引人。酒 色是漂亮的橙茶色，酒在杯中顯得很 好看。這酒的口感順滑而能夠刺激味 蕾，當中的煙燻味道在口腔縈繞。比 起較淡的Fino Sherry，我更喜歡這 款雪利酒呢！」

Christie: “Nah…this is very concentrated and sweet. Absolutely not my thing but at least it doesn’t leave any bitterness so I don’t dislike it. It has a clinging texture and aromas of raisins and honey, which I think it would be a nice substitute of syrup for pancakes, waffles and toasts – obviously only for people who are down for wine in the morning!”

Christie：「嗯…這酒是非常濃縮的 甜，肯定不是『我杯茶』，不過至少 它不是甜得令人苦起臉來的那種甜， 因此我也不至於討厭它。這款雪利酒 的質感極厚，具提子乾及蜜糖的香 氣，因此我想它能代替吃班戟、窩夫 和多士時的糖漿吧—簡直專為早上便 想喝酒的人而設！」

18 winetimeshk.com

THE WINE DOCTOR - Swaps Wine for a taste of local HK Beer 酒博士專欄－一嚐本地手工啤酒之新口味

by Maurizio Galli

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A passionate wine aficionado and educator who believes in a non-pretentious approach to wine. Having a soft spot for obscure and exotic wine regions, he quickly gained a reputation of wine nerd under Red Mill’s umbrella.

ther than wine, like many other people in the wine industry, I like to drink beer and, in particular craft beer. Thus, this month, I'm taking a break from writing about wine to talk about a new exciting craft beer project in Hong Kong that has been created by a group of very enthusiastic folks: Gweilo Beer.

Gweilo Beer was co-founded by friends Emily and Joe with the aim of bringing fun, fresh and exciting locally brewed beers to Hong Kong.

Emily and her husband were serious home brewers back in the UK with their own home based micro-brewery.

Joe is a designer and also a craft beer lover. Although the craft beer market in Hong Kong has experienced a boom in the past couple of years, the team were not very excited by the limited offer of local Hong Kong brews when they first arrived in Hong Kong nearly three years ago. This is why Emily and Joe decided to get their hands dirty: Gweilo Beer hopes to help redefine the beer market in Hong Kong in a fun and light-hearted way. As explained to me by Emily, the word Gweilo was carefully chosen: the word that originally had negative connotations today has become a commonly accepted and frivolous way to refer to foreigners in Hong Kong.

Emily commented that "the word Gweilo has been redefined and we want to promote the redefinition,

which is something Hong Kong should be proud of. We know the name will get attention, but that's the point, we want it to so that people buy our delicious beers and make the switch to craft”.

Gweilo is currently producing an IPA and Pale Ale which are similar to the recipes Emily and her husband brewed back in the UK, but with a tropical twist which is the result of months of hop sensory sessions.

As Joe explained: “We wanted to create classic session-style ales. While the IPA is a little malty and will appeal to the more die-hard ale drinkers, the Pale Ale really is a stepping stone from industrial lager to craft beer. We are brewing beers for everyone in Hong Kong to embrace and enjoy and the Pale Ale is light, crisp and refreshing like a lager but with a slightly yeastier and hoppier taste and we have brewed this with local taste buds in mind. We have already had tremendous feedback from some local restaurants that stock our beers”.

My personal take on this is that both Gweilo IPA and Pale Ale are a breath of fresh air in a market that is predominantly flooded with mass production beer. The beers are good and you can taste the team's passion in them. Gweilo Beer is a most welcome new entry in the made in Hong Kong beer scene and you can enjoy it starting from this month!

除

了葡萄酒之外，我與許多同行一樣也喜 歡喝啤酒，尤其是手工啤酒。因此， 今期我暫且擱下葡萄酒，寫寫有關一款由一 班滿腔熱誠的「啤酒友」新推出的手工啤 酒：Gweilo(鬼佬)啤酒。 Gweilo啤酒由Emily和Joe創立，兩位為志趣 相投的朋友，他們除為了共同興趣，也希望 香港可以擁有本地釀造的手工啤酒。 Emily與其丈夫居於英國時已認真地釀造啤 酒，以自己的家打造了一個小型的啤酒廠； 至於Joe則是一位喜歡釀手工啤酒的設計 師。雖然香港近年來的手工啤酒市場錄得升 幅，但在3年前他們初來到香港並不感到興 奮，因為本地的手工啤酒實在少之又少。 這也是Emily和Joe決定「親自出馬」的原 因：Gweilo啤酒希望香港的啤酒市場能變得 輕鬆有趣。Emily向我解說，「Gweilo」這個 名字是經由精心挑選，此詞原本帶有貶義性 質，現在已被廣泛接受用以輕佻地稱呼居於 香港的外國人。 Emily指出：「『Gweilo』一詞已經被重新定 義，而我們想推廣這個用詞，使之成為香港 值得自豪的獨有名詞。我們知道這個名字會 引起注意，我們也想人們注意到我們，從而 喝到我們可口的手工啤酒，轉而消費於手工 啤酒之上。」 Gweilo啤酒現時生產的包括一款IPA(印度淡 啤酒)及一款Pale Ale(愛爾淡啤酒)，按Emily 與她丈夫於英國時差不多的釀法製造，不過 加入了一點熱帶元素，就是為時數月的啤酒 花處理過程。 Joe接着解釋說：「我們想釀造出經典的Ale ( 愛爾啤酒)。IPA的麥味較重，吸引到許多極愛 喝Ale的人，所以Pale Ale就是讓他們從工業 製的Lager(窖藏啤酒)轉而喝手工啤酒。我們 想釀造出讓香港的每個人都喜愛及享受的啤 酒；而Pale Ale與Lager相類似，均是淡味、 爽口而清新，但帶有更多酵母和啤酒花的味 道，因為我們在釀造此酒時考慮到本地人的 口味。我們已獲得不少餐廳的支持，大量訂 購我們的手工啤酒。」 我個人的意見是，在這個大量工業生產主導 的啤酒市場下，Gweilo的IPA及Pale Ale猶如 一口清新的空氣。他們的啤酒頗佳，你可從 中嚐到他們對手工啤酒的熱情。Gweilo啤酒 現在正式打入市場，相信能為香港的啤酒市 場帶來一番新景象。

(Christie Chan譯)

winetimeshk.com 19

Monvinic; Barcelona’s Best Wine Bar by Far

巴塞隆拿最佳葡萄酒酒吧—Monvinic 20 winetimeshk.com

在

Text by Ali Nicol

譯文：Christie Chan Images 圖像: Monvinic

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f there is a list of “places to visit before you die” for wine lovers then Barcelona’s Monvinic would most certainly be somewhere very near the top. Wine lovers can literally spend hours (and probably a fair amount of money) indulging in many of the almost 3,000 labels available in this chic, trendy and ultra-contemporary wine bar and fine dining restaurant that serves not only wines most would swoon over, but food that would give any gourmand lifethreatening palpitations out of sheer excitement.

The walk from reception to their newly renovated terrace at the back of the restaurant allows patrons to witness all that is essentially Monvinic. Passing by the impressive wine library of reference books, wine bar, staggeringly ultra modern wine cellar, dining room and education centre one finally finds oneself in a Catalan wine oasis; tucked away from the rest of the world with the iPad wine list in hand one begins to feel rather like Gollum as you stroke the screen and begin to drool over the wines that you can both afford and those you can’t. Did we find ourselves looking at the list thinking “my precious”?

Maybe, although the sheer quality of the wine list in hand quickly brought us swiftly back to reality.

There are an impressive number of sommeliers working at Monvinic – even the waiting staff have a serious knowledge of wine that would put almost anyone I have met to shame – but none comes more qualified than the Director of Sommeliers Isabelle Brunet.

Isabelle was nominated as the best sommelier in Spain in 2013 and formerly worked at Ferran Adrià’s elBulli and the prominent Les Ambassadeurs in Paris and The Ritz Club in London. Isabelle wastes no time in arranging drinks and served a highly impressive Cava – the Colet-Navazos Reserve Extra Brut 2009 from DO Penedes.

We only went for lunch – dinner would have been fantastic but time

was not on our side – and as the impressive array of dishes were served we ordered a glass of Cavas Nadal from DO Cava, a lovely DOC Priorat 2012 white from Cellar Puig and a sherry from Valdespino; a Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda Deliciosa NV. As the mains were served, Isabelle generously poured us a bottle of excellent Xarel-lo from DO Penedes; the Pardas 2010 which was outstanding and worked amazingly with not only the food but with the warm sunny day that graced us upon our visit.

Monvinic is certainly a groundbreaking venue and since it was set up in 2008 over 8,000 wines have graced the wine list there. The list is ever changing and ever evolving which is nice as it means that you are unlikely to drink the same wines each time you visit. The team there are super-knowledgeable, friendly and exceptionally professional and the wine list there could only disappoint those who know nothing about wine. Every wine producing country is represented on the list and this gives patrons the unique opportunity to travel the world of wine without having to leave Barcelona.

No trip to Barcelona is complete without a trip to Monvinic and any discerning wine lover would be amiss to not pay it a visit. If there is somewhere close to ‘wine heaven’ then Monvinic is certainly it – just go into the cellars and have a look at the eye-watering amounts of wine on display and if this doesn’t excite you then we suggest heading to the nearest hospital to get your pulse checked.

Monvinic, Carrer Diputacio 249, 08007, Barcelona, Spain – info@ monvinic.com / www.monvinic. com

「愛酒者之必遊勝地」的名單上，巴塞隆拿酒 吧Monvinic必定名列前茅，而喜歡喝葡萄酒的 你可在這裏花上一整天(以及相當數量的鈔票)，埋首 於具有將近3,000款葡萄酒的酒單之中。這間酒吧暨 高級食府裝潢別緻時尚、極具現代感，所供應的葡萄 酒除了多得令你陶醉外，其食物也會讓美食家為之動 容。 從接待處走到餐廳後方平台，顧客可以親眼看到 Monvinic酒吧散發的特質—放滿葡萄酒參考書的書 櫃、葡萄酒專屬吧臺、現代化得驚人的酒櫃、餐廳和 葡萄酒教學區。看着以iPad展示的酒單，你仿如置身 於Catalonia的葡萄酒綠洲上，然後慢慢變得像咕嚕( 英：Gollum，《魔戒》中的角色)一樣，酒單上每一 款你負擔得起或負擔不起的葡萄酒就如魔戒般，令你 禁不住唾涎三尺，並在心裏唸着：「我的寶貝」。回 到現實，酒單上的每款葡萄酒的而且確極為優質。 在Monvinic酒吧工作的侍酒師數量也令人為之驚嘆， 就連侍應生也對葡萄酒擁有深切的認識，更可能使差 不多我認識的所有人也感到比不及，而我想也沒有一 個比她更有資格—侍酒師總監Isabelle Brunet。她 在2013年被提名為西班牙最佳侍酒師，曾在多間知 名高級食府工作，包括國際知名的西班牙大廚Ferran Adrià的餐廳elBulli、巴黎著名餐廳Les Ambassadeurs以及倫敦的The Ritz Club。不用片刻，Isabelle 便以優秀的Cava來招待我們，這枝DO Penedes產區 的Colet-Navazos Reserve Extra Brut 2009的味道， 在我們的口腔內留下了深刻的印象。 我們只在此用午膳，但相信如果能夠吃上一頓晚飯將 會更加完美，可惜時間上並不許可。隨着一碟又一碟 的美食端到桌上，我們也多點了一杯釀自酒莊Cellar Puig的DOC Priorat 2012白酒(產自DO Cava產區中 Cavas Nadal)，以及Valdespino酒莊的Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda Deliciosa NV雪利酒。主菜 出場時，Isabelle更為我們倒上一瓶釀自DO Penedes 產區Pardas酒莊的2010年份Xarel-lo白酒，其不僅與 食物非常配搭，在如此一個風和日麗的下午享用，也 是最適合不過。 Monvinic酒吧絕對是突破創新的食府，自2008年 開業起，已經有超過8,000款葡萄美酒登錄其酒單之 上，反映酒吧一直改變和更新酒單。這對食客飲者來 說是件好事，因為這代表着你每次光顧時也不太會喝 到同一樣的葡萄酒。再者，餐廳及酒吧的團隊非常 專業，各人也擁有豐富的葡萄酒知識，同時以友善有 禮的服務態度招待客人。酒單上囊括了世界上每一個 葡萄酒出產國，讓客人可以身在巴塞隆拿，而心卻在 葡萄酒世界中盡情遊歷，或許只有對葡萄毫無認識的 人，才會對如此出眾的酒單感到失望吧。 所謂「不到長城非好漢」，若你到巴塞隆拿而錯過了 Monvinic酒吧，你大概也不能說自己到過這個城市 吧，而有品味的葡萄酒愛好者更不能不到訪此處。假 如真的有「葡萄酒天堂」這個地方，Monvinic酒吧 肯定非常接近—只要到酒窖走走，看看那令人目瞪 口呆的葡萄酒數目，可謂「一看便知龍與鳳」。如果 這也不能令你感到興奮，建議你還是到醫院檢查一下 你的脈搏是否正常吧。Monvinic酒吧地址：Carrer Diputacio 249, 08007, Barcelona, Spain；電郵： info@monvinic.com；網址：www.monvinic.com。

winetimeshk.com 21

From Scotland to Spain:

Norrel Robertson of El Escocés Volante 從蘇格蘭走到西班牙：釀酒師Norrel Robertson Text by Ali Nicol

譯文：Christie Chan

Images 圖像: El Escocés Volante

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cotland is famous for a number of things, none more so than alcohol and its world-wide acclaim for the crafting of the best whiskies in the world.

But when it comes to wine, it ranks down somewhere near Greenland in its history and tradition of winemaking. However the nation has its fair share of Masters of Wine and none come more charismatic and radical as Norrel Robertson MW who crafts some incredible wines from the Calatayud region of central northern Spain.

Norrel is the only Master of Wine living in Spain and has been making wines there for over 10 years now.

After moving there in 2003 he quickly fell in love with the old vine Garnacha vineyards in Calatayud, Aragon and decided it was time to start making wine for himself. Thus, El Escocés Volante (The Flying Scot) was born and the pioneering Scot now has projects in Murcia, Andalucía and Galicia.

But the journey did not begin in Spain; it began in the 1990’s when Norrel decided to pursue a career in the wine industry after working in a wine shop in Aberdeen and honing his skills in national wine retail chain Oddbins.

“For me, doing the Master of Wine was always a personal challenge – I have a commercial background in wine. I studied politics initially but while at university in Aberdeen I had to get a part time job so I started working in Oddbins – this was kind of like my learning ground.

Eventually I moved down to Edinburgh and was managing one of their fine wine stores which was where I found my passion for wine”,

22 winetimeshk.com

says Norrel as we caught up during his June trip to Hong Kong.

After selling fine wine for Bibendum in London, Norrel moved on to Chianti where he made a vintage and subsequently spent time refining his winemaking skills in Portugal, Australia, France and Chile before embarking on the Master of Wine program in 1998. Passing this and also a post-graduate degree in Viticulture and Oenology in Christchurch, New Zealand Norrel then headed to Spain and what would inevitably be where he settled down to eventually make wine for himself.

On moving to Spain he says, “I literally picked up a map with my wife and found that Calatayud was the most central point for me to get to where all the winemaking projects were in both Spain and France that I was working on at the time. What blew me away about the area was the quality of the vineyards; very high altitude patchwork vineyards that were primarily Garnacha”.

The first vintage of his own wines from El Escocés Volante was in 2004 with the release of Manga del Brujo – a seductive red made with a blend of ancient vine Garnacha, Tempranillo, Syrah and Mazuelo which he describes as “representative of what we have in the ground up in Calatayud and fairly typical of the region”.

Norrel still has projects in Galicia and makes a different style of Albariño from Rias Baixas of which we tasted the 2012 vintage. The wine, called Cup and Rings has been left on the lees for much

來

自蘇格蘭而聞名世界的東西有幾種，但 也不及其生產的酒精和全球最好的威士 忌。不過，如果酒精指的是葡萄酒的話，那說 法便大為不同了，以蘇格蘭的葡萄酒歷史與釀 酒傳統來說，它的排位只與格陵蘭差不多。 然而，這個國家在葡萄酒大師(英：Master of Wine，由英國的葡萄酒大師協會(The Institute of Masters of Wine)頒發的專業認證)之 上也佔有一席位，他便是來自蘇格蘭的Norrel Robertson MW。這位具魅力而激進的葡萄 酒大師，在西班牙北部Calatayud產區專注釀 造出優秀高質的葡萄酒。 Norrel是唯一一個居於西班牙的葡萄酒大師， 至今已在西班牙釀酒超過10年。自2003年移 居當地，他便迅即愛上了Aragon自治區中 Calatayud產區中，種滿老葡萄藤Garnacha 的葡萄園，並決定開展屬於自己的釀酒事業。 這樣，El Escocés Volante酒莊(The Flying Scot)便誕生了，Norrel更把事業拓展到西班 牙的Murcia、Andalucía及Galicia等地區。 可是，這趟創業之旅並不是從西班牙開始， 而是始於90年代，當時他還在蘇格蘭鴨巴甸 (Aberdeen)的一間酒鋪打工，也就是在全國 連鎖酒零售店Oddbins中磨練。 「對我而言，取得葡萄酒大師的專業認證是一 項個人挑戰，因為我對葡萄酒商業已有所認 知。起初，我在鴨巴甸的一所大學修讀政治 學，但後來我需要一份兼職工作，於是我便到 連鎖酒零售店Oddbins打工，而這便是我學習 有關葡萄酒知識的地方。最後，我遷居到愛丁 堡(Edinburgh)，在那裏管理其中一間優質葡 萄酒的零售店，這也是我發現自己對葡萄酒的 熱愛的地方。」趁着Norrel上月來到香港，我 們得與他聚首暢談。

longer than most would expect for a simple white (17 months), but this is not a simple white, it’s a complex, creamy and mouth-filling Albariño which is a far cry from the commercial, quaffing nature of most of the white wines from this area.

Our favourite wine from Norrel is his Es Lo Que Hay – we tried the 2011 vintage. Meaning “it is what it is”, the wine is just a true expression of Garnacha; unaoked and fermented in open top fermenters and left on the lees for 20 months.

It is, in Norrel’s own words “a muscular wine but with freshness” and we thought it was absolutely outstanding. It is full bodied, but has a wicked acidic backbone coupled with well rounded and integrated tannins and a long, very clean and mineral finish.

The last of the Calatayud wines we tried was the Dos Dedos de Frente, an unfiltered red wine made from 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. Not exactly the grapes or the blend

that one would expect from Spain but a fantastic wine none-the-less which features Norrel himself on the label – a label that screams “buy me” from the shop shelf and one where the wine’s quality stands up to and surpasses the chic label it’s sold under.

For a taste of Spain that is as unique as it is diverse, one must get away from the more commonplace regions making wine (that’s not to say regions such as Rioja are bad); it’s just that wine lovers are looking for wines that excite, stimulate and engage rather than meet expectations – and in the case of El Escocés Volante, the wines far exceed expectations.

Wines from El Escocés Volante are available in Hong Kong from Anecoop Asia at Unit 03, 21/F, Trendy Centre, 682-684 Castke Peak Road, Kowloon or contact Benjamin Wong at wongkinlon@yahoo.com. hk

在倫敦Bibendum餐廳擔任銷售葡萄酒的工作 後，Norrel搬家到意大利Chianti，並在該區 釀造出首個年份的葡萄酒，其後更到葡萄牙、 澳洲、法國及智利學習更多的釀酒技術，直至 1998年參與葡萄酒大師計劃。在取得此專業 認證的同時，他也完成了紐西蘭Christchurch 一所大學的葡萄種植和釀酒學碩士課程，之 後到西班牙定居及釀造出自己的葡萄酒。他 跟我們訴說遷往西班牙之前的情況，說：「 我與妻子看着地圖，發現Calatayud地區是我 當時在西班牙及法國境內所有釀酒項目的中心 點。最令我感到驚訝的是該區葡萄園的質素； 位於高原而錯落有致的葡萄園，所種植的主要 為Garnacha葡萄。」El Escocés Volante酒 莊於2004年出產的首個年份的葡萄酒Manga del Brujo—一款引人入勝的紅酒，由Garnacha、Tempranillo、Syrah、Mazuelo葡萄 混合釀造而成。他這樣形容此酒：「它代表着 Calatayud產區的高原土地，對於此區來說也 是相當經典。」 Norrel仍有一個在Galicia地區的釀酒項目， 釀造出與Rias Baixas產區不同的Albariño白 酒，而我們嚐到了其2012年份。這酒名為 Cup and Rings，其逗留在酒糟的時間比起一 款簡單的白酒(17個月)長得多，然而並非一款 簡單的白酒，而是一款層次複雜、口感柔滑良 好的Albariño白酒，比起同產區的白酒截然不 同，並無商業化且用以豪飲的特質。我們嚐 到Norrel釀造的Es Lo Que Hay 2011，並選 它為當中我們最喜歡的葡萄酒。這酒演繹了 何謂「它就是它」，也就是說它真正反映了 Garnacha這種葡萄品種。酒沒有靜待在木桶 之中，而於非密封的器皿內進行發酵，並於 酒糟內存放20個月。Norrel把此酒形容為： 「具力量而帶清新」；我們的看法是：絕對出 眾。酒的酸度十足，口感豐滿而酒體豐盈，同 時具層次的單寧，餘韻則長而清澈，更帶有礦 物味。 最後一款嚐到的Calatayud葡萄酒便是Dos Dedos de Frente紅酒，它不經過濾，由95% 的Syrah及5%的Viognier葡萄混合釀造，可 能沒有人會認為這些葡萄品種或這種口味出產 自西班牙，不過這酒確是佳釀，酒標上更印 有Norrel本人，就像是在酒架上呼叫：「買我 吧」！我們可以肯定的是，酒瓶中的比起這有 玩味的酒標更加出色。 屬於西班牙的味道獨特而又有各式各樣，所以 應多試試其他產區的葡萄酒，而不要只喝慣常 喝到的地區(這並不是指Rioja產區生產不出好 的葡萄酒)。喜愛喝酒的你總喜歡嚐到能令你 興奮、刺激，並且吸引到你想要再多喝一點的 葡萄酒，多於只在預期之內、毫無驚喜的葡萄 酒。如果你也對此認同的話，El Escocés Volant酒莊釀造的葡萄酒便是屬於「超乎預期」 的那一種。El Escocés Volant酒莊於本港零 售商Anecoop Asia有售。(地址：長沙灣青山 道682號潮流工貿中心21樓03室，或可電郵 到wongkinlon@yahoo.com.hk與Benjamin Wong聯絡) winetimeshk.com 23

July's Wine Events

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12 13 14 Bastille Day

For the full information on all the above events visit our website www. winetimeshk. com/events 各品酒活動詳情可 瀏覽WTHK網站 www. winetimeshk. com/events 24 winetimeshk.com

19 20 21

Discover Sardinia with WTHK at Monteverdi

Smith Haut Lafitte Wine Dinner with Madison Wines at Town Moorilla Shop Promotional Tasting Event at Enoteca Central Shop

Discover Sardinia with WTHK at DiVino Patio

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1

Public Holiday: HKSAR Establishment Day

8

Leroy Part Deux Tasting with Ginsberg+Chan

The Grand Cru’s of Montrachet Tasting with Ginsberg+Chan

Smith Haut Lafitte Wine Dinner with Madison Wines at Town

2

Moorilla Shop Promotional Tasting Event at Enoteca Central Shop

Luce 20th Anniversary Wine Dinner at Tosca, Ritz Carlton Hotel

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Rochioli Wine Dinner with Golden Gate Wine at The Conrad Australia & New Zealand Tasting at Schmidt Vinothek Quarry Bay

Pares Balta Winemaker Dinner at Isono

3 ASC 6th Anniversary Wine Sale

4

American Independence Day

Blind Tasting – International Session at Perbacco

10 11

Luce 20th Anniversary Tasting Event at Enoteca Central Shop

Sardinia Wine Dinner with Italy Small Vineyards

ASC 6th Anniversary Wine Sale

Discover Sardinia with WTHK at 121BC

15 16 17 18

Villa Medoro Wine Dinner at Ciak with Amorosso Wines Taylor’s Private Customer Dinner with ASC

Discover Sardinia with WTHK at Perbacco

International Chardonnay Tasting at Schmidt Vinothek Happy Valley

Villa Medoro Wine Dinner at Cucina, Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel Kracher Wine Dinner at Comptoir with EMW

Wine Dinner with Luis Pato at Casa LisboA

Gaia Barbaresco Retrospective with Ginsberg+Chan

Scenes of Sicily Wine Lunch at Tosca, Ritz Carlton Hotel

Rosé Revolution Macau with Eddie McDougall at The Seasons Restaurant

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Yves Cuilleron Pop-Up Tasting at Sunday’s Grocery

Bonny Doon Tasting at The Flying Winemaker

International Chardonnay Tasting at Schmidt Vinothek Quarry Bay

Blind Tasting – Indigenous Session at Perbacco

Clos des Jacobins Wine dinner at Town with Kerry Wines

Chateau Angelus Wine Dinner with Madison Wines at Amuse Bouche

30 31 29 Cellar Series Tasting (Top American Wines) at The Flying Winemaker

Chateauneuf-du-Pape Tasting with Ginsberg+Chan

Massolino Wine Dinner at Ciak

New World VS Old World Wine Dinner at Waterside Terrace, Island Shangri-La

Australia and New Zealand Tasting at Schmidt Vinothek Happy Valley

Henschke Tasting Event at Enoteca Kowloon Tong Shop

winetimeshk.com 25

“Un Giro d’Italia” Discover the Unknown Italy 探索未知國度：意大利的葡萄寶庫

I

taly makes some of the world’s best wines from the multitude of indigenous grapes that grow on its fertile soils; in fact, Italy has the largest number of indigenous grape varieties from which wine is made worldwide.

In total, there are 377 different varieties alone, many of those having different clonal types thus making Italy arguably one of the most diverse wine making countries in the world. In this monthly feature, we will take a look at the grapes specific to each region and highlight some of the wines that are crafted from each variety. This month, we look at some of the regional grapes of the Sardinia, an island located off the West coast of Italy.

A wine tour of Sardinia takes oenophiles on a sensational journey of pleasure that transcends the visitation of historical production places and wineries. It is a journey that involves all the senses: perfumes, flavours and colours of Sardinia beckon as one leaves the larger cities behind. The full range of sensations has a more profound impact upon the first-time visitor, or on the visitor who returns after a long absence. The wine routes of the island lead to fantastic landscapes where viticulture has been in existence since pre-Roman times, a tradition that began with the people of the nuraghi and continues into the third millennium.

This is the most ancient land of Italy and his months article explores 3 indigenous grapes to Sardinia; Vermentino, Cannonau and Cagnulari.

1. Vermentino Vermentino di Sardinia is a DOC wine that encompasses the entirety of the southern Italian island and is usually

26 winetimeshk.com

found as a dry white wine but sparkling and sweet versions of the grape do exist. The theories behind the origins of the grape are interesting. One suggestion is that it was brought south from Liguria and thrived better in warmer climates. Another is that it came from Spain, transplanted during one of the many historic cultural migrations or political takeovers. It creates rustic wines with dramatic flavours and characteristics that are best paired with the indigenous foods to Sardinia – that is, on the whole, seafood dishes.

2. Cannonau Cannonau is indigenous to Sardinia but is known elsewhere around the world as Grenache or Garnacha but has, over time become one of the islands most successful wine grapes. Garnacha has long been thought to have evolved from Aragon in Northern Spain but recent revelations by Italian researchers suggest that the grape Cannonau (and therefore Garnacha) may well have originated in Sardinia. It is used to produce both red and rosé styles of still wines with aged Riserva and fortified ‘liquoroso’ forming the red wine styles.

The finest examples of Sardinian Cannonau are found in the east of the island in the Nuoro, Ogliastra and Cagliari regions.

3. Cagnulari Cagnulari is a rare grape variety grown mostly in the islands northwest quarter where it is used to produce full-bodied red wines. Although there is no DOC for wines made from Cagnulari, the variety has strong associations with the area around the town of Usini. Almost falling to extinction in years gone by – and mostly used as a blending grape – it is widely acknowledged that producer Giovanni Cherchi was the man who first helped enhance Cagnulari, exploiting its valuable features and creating spectacular single varietal wines from the indigenous grape.

Text by Ali Nicol & Marco Bianchi

譯文：Christie Chan

大利的土地上生長着眾多的原生葡萄品種， 意 釀造出部分世界上最好的葡萄酒，事實上更 是擁有最多原生葡萄品種的國家，其葡萄酒更供應

到世界各地。在數字方面，在意大利的土壤上可找 到377種葡萄品種，當中更有多種無性繁殖的複製 葡萄(clonal grapes)，因此有說意大利是最多樣化 的葡萄酒產國。在這兩版專頁上，我們會為讀者介 紹來自不同國家產區的葡萄品種，並且推介釀自該 些葡萄品種的酒品。今期WTHK帶大家到意大利西 邊的撒丁島產區(Sardinia)，認識生長於該區的葡 萄品種。 一眾葡萄酒鑑賞家一定會愛上撒丁島 ，光是參觀 當地歷史悠久的釀酒方式及古舊的酒莊已經令人樂 而忘返。當你離開較大的城市，開展一趟撒丁島感 觀之旅時，島上的香味、味道及顏色已在途上向你 招手。對於初次來到撒丁島，或是久未到來的旅客 而言，這種感觀上的享受更為深刻。沿着葡萄酒之 旅的路線，你可以看到極美的自然景觀，這裏的葡 萄酒文化始於羅馬帝國之前，由當時居於島上Nuraghi建築的人們承傳直到今天。撒丁島是意大利 境內最古老的土地，今期我們將介紹來自這裏的三 種當地原生葡萄品種：Vermentino、Cannonau 和Cagnulari。 Vermentino di Sardinia葡萄品種是DOC葡萄酒之 一，被廣泛種植在意大利南部島嶼，其口感一般屬 乾澀，但亦用以釀造氣泡酒或甜酒。此葡萄品種的 起源眾說紛云，其中一個說法為這品種從北邊的 Liguria被帶到南邊，發現更適合在南邊氣候更暖的 地方生長。另一個說法指其源於西班牙，葡萄於民 族遷徙或戰爭被帶到意大利並重新種植。這品種釀 造的紅酒具簡單純樸的風格，口味豐富，與薩丁島 當地食物非常配搭(主要是海鮮類)。 Cannonau葡萄是薩丁島的原生品種，但在其他 地方則被稱為Grenache或Garnacha，也是隨時 間而成為島上最成功的葡萄品種。Garnacha葡萄 一直被認定由西班牙北部的Aragon產區進化而 來，不過，近來有意大利研究指出，Cannonau 葡萄(也就是Garnacha)很有可能源自薩丁島。這 種葡萄酒常加入陳年特釀(Riserva)及加烈葡萄酒 (‘liquoroso’)，釀造出不含氣泡的紅酒或rosé。 薩丁島Cannonau葡萄的最佳例子可在島上的 Nuoro、Ogliastra及Cagliari地區找到。 Cagnulari葡萄是個罕見的品種，多被種植在島上 西北邊的一角，本來釀造出酒體厚重豐盈的紅酒。 雖然沒有DOC葡萄酒以Cagnulari葡萄釀造，但其 與Usini城鎮的關聯甚廣。隨時間過去，這品種幾 乎面臨絕種，亦多用以釀造混合葡萄酒，而生產 商Giovanni Cherchi廣為人知乃改良此品種的第一 人，以其釀造出單一品種的葡萄酒，讓更多人認識 到這葡萄值得被欣賞的特性。

Learn more at AIS:

Best Examples of Italian native grapes

AIS sommelier courses are available at Italy Small Vineyards. For more information contact fay@ italysmallvineyards.com

1. Vermentino

Giovanni Cherchi Pigalva Vermentino di Sardegna DOC 2013

Italian Small Vineyards有提供 AIS侍酒師課程，詳情請電郵到 fay@italysmallvineyards.com

Brilliant straw yellow with light greenish reflections. There is a delicate fragrance of apples with some floral notes; dry and sapid on the palate with balanced body and structure. An elegant and easy drinking wine. 酒色呈禾黃色，反射時帶點綠色。具細膩的蘋果香氣，並帶 有花香。口感乾澀而極為怡人，其酒體及層次皆平衡，是款 優雅而容易入喉的白酒。

2. Cannonau

Giovanni Cherchi Cannonau Sardegna DOC 2013

The wine shows a clear ruby colour in the glass with purple highlights. On the nose, there is ripe fruit, jam and blackberry with delicate hints of quince and plum. The palate shows off the wine’s dry style and with well integrated tannins, leaves a full mouth feel and a generous finish. 酒杯中盛着寶石紅色，亦帶有點凸出的紫色。在香氣方 面，酒散發着熟果、果醬和黑莓的果香，並且帶點金蘋果 (quince)和梅子的香氣。這酒的口感乾澀，加上單寧份量適 中，使口感完整而餘韻豐富。

3. Cagnulari

Giovanni Cherchi Cagnulari Sardegna DOC 2013

In the glass the wine’s intense ruby colour is highlighted and, upon closer inspection gives generous aromas of ripe black fruit, jam and geranium. The palate is vivacious with a delicate acidity and gentle tannins leaving a fresh and clear feeling on the finish. 酒色為濃烈的寶石紅，當中也帶有亮麗的紅色；仔細嗅嗅， 酒香予人豐富熟透的黑果類香氣，還有果醬和天竺葵(geranium)香葉氣味。這酒屬活潑類型的紅酒，其酸度亦恰好怡 人，加上微微的單寧，口腔留下清新而澄淨的餘韻。

Available at: Enoteca Italiana

209 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong +852 2362 1488 info@italysmallvineyards.com

Monteverdi Restaurant

6a-8 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong +852 2559 0115 armando@monteverdirestaurants.com

Perbacco Restaurant

188 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong +852 2517 8884

121BC

42-44 Peel Street, Central +852 2395 0200 Info@121bc.com.hk

121BC

DiVino Patio Ristorante Bar Pizzeria

Shop 11, 1/F, BRIM28 - Causeway Centre, No. 28 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong +852 2877 3552 info@divinopatio.com winetimeshk.com 27

winetimeshk.com 28

TOP 10

十大頂尖 西班牙Cava Rimarts Cava Gran Reserva (DO Cava) We had to hunt for this wine as we wanted to include it in our Top 10 and were very happy to hear it is available in Hong Kong! This Gran Reserva is a wonderful sparkling wine to pair with typical Spanish tapas but more so with foods that are more fatty such as Iberico ham; mostly because the wine is a dry wine and can cut nicely though the fatty nature of the ham. This Gran Reserva is aged between 36 and 42 months and is a blend of the typical Cava grapes (Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeu) but also has some Chardonnay blended in which gives the wine a little more weight and texture on the palate. There is plenty of ripe fruit on the palate and the wine leaves a long, lingering finish on the palate which begs for another delectable sip as soon as the sensation has dissipated.

Available from Rimarts in Hong Kong

Cava

Cava Dominio de la Vega Brut Reserva Especial (Valencia) The first and most striking thing about this wine is its beautiful golden colour in the glass.

It’s a blend of Macabeo and Chardonnay only making it a little more approachable than some other Cava as it has a little more weight and texture on the palate without some of the high acidity found in some of the Cava made from the traditional three grapes. Aromas of vintage champagne are abundant from the glass and, on the palate it would be hard to say that this wasn’t a vintage champagne if placed in a blind tasting. It’s clean and toasty on the palate and, on the whole, a highly addictive wine that is made in very small quantities – only 1,000 cases of this amazing stuff is made annually. Most definitely one of our favourites for the summer of 2015 – to be sure we’ll be drinking a fair amount of this lovely stuff!

Available from Plaza Mayor (www.plazamayor.hk)

我們費盡勁想要推介這款Cava，把它列為《十大頂尖 西班牙Cava》之一，終於得悉本港有此酒供應，為此 我們真的非常高興！這款Gran Reserva是款與經典西班 牙小吃(tapas)極為配搭的氣泡酒，但與西班牙風乾火腿 (Iberico ham)等較油膩的食物更加配搭，主要因為這酒 比較乾身，可帶走火腿的油膩感，是個典型的美酒佳餚 組合。這酒以普遍釀造Cava的葡萄(Xarel-lo、Parellada 和Macabeu葡萄)混合陳釀36至42個月而成，但當中也 加入Chardonnay葡萄，從而釀出酒體稍厚、質感較重的 口感。這酒充滿着熟果果味，餘韻徘徊在口腔之中，令 人不想讓它靜靜消散而多喝一口。 有售於本港酒零售商Rimarts

要數這酒令人驚嘆之處，便是其美麗醉人的金黃酒色。 它混合了Macabeo和Chardonnay葡萄釀造而成，其酒 體稍稍厚身且具質感，不過其酸度卻沒有某些Cava那 般高，比起那些以三種傳統葡萄釀造的Cava更加容易 入喉。這酒散發出陳釀的香氣，倘若盲品此酒，很有可 能誤以為它是某年份的特釀香檳。酒的口感淨澈而帶烤 香，使它成為一款令人上癮的葡萄酒──不過其生產規模 很小，產量為每年1,000箱。這肯定是我們2015年夏季 最喜愛的葡萄酒之一，我們在此預告我們將會大量入貨 呢！ 有售於本港零售商Plaza Mayor (www.plazamayor.hk)

winetimeshk.com 29

Top 10 Cava Raventós i Blanc De Nit 2011 (DO Conca Del Riu D Anoia)

Castell Sant Antoni Torre de l’Homentage 2003 (DO Cava)

Nothing beats a good drop of Cava when the heat and humidity of Hong Kong’s summer is bearing down upon us but one thing that may just trump your average Cava is a bottle of Cava Rosé. This tasty little number from Raventos I Blanc is a 2011 Rosé from the famed Barcelona winery. The secret addition to this ‘new to market’ wine is the 5% addition of some Monastrell with firstly gives the wine its exuberant colour but also adds a little weight to the palate giving it a little more sophistication than the average Rosado and making it perfect for those outdoor summer activities we love to indulge in. Summer fruit spring to mind when the aromas hit the nose – think strawberries and red apples – while on the palate the bubbles are elegantly delicate and the long lees aging gives the wine character and sophistication.

If you thought all Cava was just cheap sparkling wine then think again! This top of the range Cava from Catalunya has been aged on the lees for 10 years and, made in the same method as champagne it makes for some serious drinking and is a wine not to be taken lightly.

The best thing about this wine is the aged aromas it gives off in the glass. There’s honey, beeswax and brioche on the nose whilst the good acidic backbone of the wine makes it perfect for drinking through dinner. Subtle notes of apple are on the palate which makes it a wine; we think that would be perfect with some Iberico Pork or dishes that are slightly heavier and likely not one for everyday tapas. For those that like to indulge themselves with all things special, this would certainly fit the bill. A stunningly complex wine and one for the true connoisseur.

Available from Finessa in Hong Kong (www.finessa.com.hk)

Available from Kerry Wines in Hong Kong (www.kerrywines. com)

香港的夏天既炎熱且潮濕，有甚麼能與一枝好的Cava相 比？當然是Cava Rosé。這款Cava Rosé產自巴塞隆拿著 名的Raventós i Blanc酒莊，是市場上「新登場」的葡萄 酒，當中添加了5%的秘密武器──Monastrell葡萄。這 不僅使酒色變得更有生氣，也使口感變得稍重，比起一 般Rosado更具複雜性，在夏日帶這酒到戶外享用實是最 好不過。當酒的香氣飄散，種種夏日水果立即於腦海浮 現，尤其士多啤梨和蘋果；酒中的氣泡優雅細緻，其陳 年酒糟使酒變得更具個性及複雜性。 有售於本港零售商Finessa (www.finessa.com.hk)

如果你認為Cava只是價格便宜的氣泡酒，那你便錯了！ 這款產自Catalunya產區的頂尖Cava經過在酒糟陳釀10 年之久，其釀造方法與香檳一樣，因此它是一款應該被 認真對待的葡萄酒。這酒最大的優點是其酒香無比，杯 中散發着經過陳釀的氣息，當中含有蜜糖、蜂蠟及忌廉 蛋捲的香氣，帶有微微的蘋果果味，其酸度亦適中怡 人，可作為極佳的晚餐餐酒。我們認為這酒與西班牙 Iberico豬肉將會是完美的配搭，或是與稍為濃味的食物 配襯，反之較不適合與日常吃到的西班牙小吃配搭。如 果你是個凡事皆要求特別的人，這酒絕對滿足到你。真 正為行家的飲者定會欣賞這款具層次及複雜性的Cava。 有售於本港零售商Kerry Wines (www.kerrywines.com)

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十大頂尖西班牙Cava Pares Balta Brut Nature NV (Penedes )

Cava Dominio de la Vega Pinot Noir Brut (Valencia)

Pares Balta has always been one of our favourite wineries in Penedes and they make some lovely Cava but for us the Brut Nature is the one that we like the best. It’s clean, crisp and refreshing but not a simple wine as it has complex flavours on the palate that are somewhat reminiscent of a champagne.

There’s some toasty brioche notes on the palate (which we love) which follows up some alluring aromas of ripe fruit on the nose. The blend is the typical 3 Cava grapes with the majority in this blend being Xarel-lo which lends a lovely textural minerality on the finish and makes it a super-refreshing wine. This style of wine would make a wicked aperitif for any party be it at home or outside and if pairing with food we’d recommend sushi, light shellfish dishes or just drinking in the sun.

Available from Cottage Vineyards International (www. cottagevineyards.com)

We wanted to add this stunning Cava to the Top 10 list as it is the first (and we think only) Cava that we have found that is made of 100% Pinot Noir.

It’s completely unique and a very rare style – something that immediately piques our attention. It’s a super-easy drinking wine that works really very well on its own on a hot sunny day or can work nicely with light beef dishes or a typical Spanish Paella. It’s a wine that we think will suit both male and female palates and should please even the most discerning of palates and maybe even one that could change the perception of Rosé around the city. There is plenty of ripe fruit which is integrated with fine creamy bubbles and we think this would be a great alternative to having a beer!

Truly remarkable and unique, this is one Cava we really think you should hunt down and give a try to.

Available from Plaza Mayor (www.plazamayor.hk)

Pares Balta酒莊是我們在Penedes產區中最喜愛的酒莊 之一，酒莊釀造數款不同優質的Cava，不過我們最喜歡 的便是其Brut Nature。酒的口感淨澈、爽口且清爽怡 人，但非層次簡單的葡萄酒，反之令人聯想起具複雜性 的香港。酒散發着烤焗忌廉蛋捲的香氣(我們十分喜愛)， 而且帶有誘人的熟果果香。這酒以三種普遍釀造Cava的 葡萄混合而成，當中Xarel-lo葡萄為主要的成分，使餘韻 具有動人的礦物質感，形成了其極為清新的特質。這種 風格的葡萄酒是舉行戶外或戶內派對前飲用的美酒，如 果要配搭食物飲用的話，我們建議壽司和口味清淡的貝 殼類，或者在陽光下單獨飲用也很不錯。

我們想把這款Cava列到我們的十大頂尖名單之上，因 為我們認為這是第一款以100%的Pinot Noir葡萄釀造 的Cava。這的確是獨樹一幟的葡萄酒風格，讓人無法不 注意到它。這酒極之容易入喉，非常適合在大太陽底下 單獨享用，也適合與不濃味的牛肉菜式或經典西班牙海 鮮飯配搭起來。我們覺得無論男女也會喜愛這樣的葡萄 酒，甚至能使嘴刁的你也感到愉悅，或許這酒更可以改 變對Rosé抱有懷疑的人之看法。酒帶有大量的熟果果 味，看着細膩柔滑的氣泡升起，我們想到它可以是啤酒 的另外之選。這是一款非常獨特而出色的Cava，我們誠 意推介予各讀者一試。

有售於本港零售商Cottage Vineyards (www.cottagevineyards.com)

有售於本港零售商Plaza Mayor (www.plazamayor.hk)

International

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Top 10 Cava Vilarnau Brut Reserva (Barcelona)

Many of you may have heard of this artisanal Cava producer from near Barcelona – we certainly have – but this column gave us the opportunity to try the wine for the first time! It’s a lovely dry Cava that is very easy drinking and if you are ever stuck for a sparkling wine to take to a dinner of Hunan or Sichuan food then this might just be the perfect accompaniment.

Its light, easy going bubbles are subtle and skip over the palate easily whilst the fresh acidity and nuances of citrus fruit and apples leave a pleasing, cool and refreshing feel on the palate. It’s perfect for warmer weather so get this in stock on your boat fridge while partying over the weekends and should you be heading to the beach for a barbeque, then we think this will make a nice addition to the shrimps on the barbie!

Available from Amorosso Fine Wines in Hong Kong (www. amorossowines.com)

Joan Raventos Rosell Cava (Penedes) The Raventos Rosell Cava is another that incorporates a touch of Chardonnay to it making it more appealing to a more international palate. This is a more simple, everyday and fun Cava however and more so one that would suit drinking at beach parties, boat trips, barbeques and balcony parties. It does have a majority Macabeo and Xarel-lo which gives it a typical rustic Spanish feel whilst the aromas are simple and fresh with notes of apples and lime. One the palate it is easy drinking and has a subtle acidity that does not inhibit serious drinking. This is the kind of wine that can be drunk throughout the whole afternoon in the sun and would work with most of the kinds of food that you’d associate with the ‘outdoors’ – Iberico ham, oysters, any kind of seafood dishes but would also work as a great aperitif before dinner or just as well as an accompaniment to a simple fruit salad after dinner.

Easy-going, simple and stylish.

Available from Plaza Mayor (www.plazamayor.hk)

許多讀者或許也聽過巴塞隆拿附近以手工釀造Cava的生 產商(我們當然聽過)，藉着特寫今期的《十大頂尖西班牙 Cava》，我們有機會初次嚐到產自Vilarnau酒莊的葡萄 酒！這酒是款口味乾澀而容易入喉的Cava，如果你打算 吃湖南或四川菜，而挑選不到想要的氣泡酒，可以予之 一試。酒的氣泡輕微而宜人，在口腔中並無強烈感覺， 在不知不覺間便消散了；清新的酸度以及柑橘類果和蘋 果的果香，讓人口中感到一絲清涼的愉悅清新。這酒非 常適合於酷熱天氣下享用，不論是「船P」或是BBQ，它 將會成為派對上最佳的消暑飲料！我們認為它與燒烤鮮 蝦不錯配。

Raventos Rosell Cava是另一款混合了Chardonnay葡萄 的Cava，釀造出較大眾化的口味。這是一款簡單日常飲 用的Cava，更適合於戶外派對上與朋友一起享用，不論 是沙灘派對、海上遊艇派對、燒烤派對抑或天台派對無 一不適合。葡萄組合中主要以Macabeo和Xarel-lo葡萄 為主，釀造出典型西班牙葡萄酒質樸風格，當中微微的 酸度使你享用時無需認真思考。此酒可以在太陽底下喝 上一整個下午，與大部分戶外吃到的食物也很配搭，例 如西班牙風乾火腿、生蠔或任何海鮮，又或者可以當作 晚飯前的開胃酒，即使配以簡單的水果沙律也可。容易 入喉、簡單而時尚入流。

有售於本港零售商Amorosso amorossowines.com)

有售於本港零售商Plaza Mayor (www.plazamayor.hk)

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Fine

Wines

(www.

十大頂尖西班牙Cava Bodegas Mt. Marcal Aureum

Recaredo Brut Nature 2007

This Cava is unique in many ways but the first striking thing about the wine is its blend. This is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Xarel-lo and Parellada and could almost be mistaken for a quality champagne. When first poured into the glass there are light bubbles dancing around the glass that leaves a fantastic mousse that is mesmerizing. There are a plethora of fruits on the nose from apricot to peach and brioche to vanilla. There are great flavours of apple on the palate that are followed up with a wickedly long finish that is super persistent.

This is another one of those excellently versatile Cava that allows for drinking from aperitif through to digestif and can be paired with a wide-range of foods or just appreciated slowly whilst watching the sun go down after a tough day’s sailing. A thoughtprovoking wine certainly but not pretentious at all – one that will surely not fail to please any sparkling wine lover’s palate.

Recaredo is actually an organic Cava meaning that there are no herbicides, pesticides or chemicals used in the vineyards and the calcium-rich soils in the region give the wine a freshness and crispiness that is exactly what you should be looking for in a good Cava. Contrary to popular belief, Cava can (and often is) made as a vintage sparkling wine and this 2007 as spent 40 months aging and now, at 8 years old is drinking in a very sophisticated manner. The light bubbles dance around the palate and there is nothing harsh about this wine at all. The overriding flavours are those of lemons and lime with just a hint of fresh green apple. This is more a Cava for the dinner table than the barbeque and its lack of sugar not only makes it a great aperitif before dinner but the style also awakens one’s appetite – so when drinking get prepared for a great deal of food later! We think this would be lovely with a great big seafood paella!

Available from Finessa Hong Kong (www.finessa.com.hk)

Available from Cuvees in Hong Kong (www.cuvees.com)

這款Cava在各個方面也很獨特，但首先數到的便 是它的葡萄組合，當中混合了Chardonnay、Pinot Noir、Xarel-lo及Parellada葡萄，嚐到其品質更可能 誤會它為香檳。把酒倒進酒杯中，只見微細的氣泡在杯 中起舞，令人愉悅。鼻子嗅到不同種類的果香，從杏果 到香桃，由忌廉蛋捲到雲呢拿也不乏。酒帶有怡人的蘋 果味，餘韻特長而持久。這是其中一款極為「百搭」的 Cava，既可能當作餐前開胃酒，也可以當作飯後酒，同 時能夠配搭多種類型的美食，也能單獨享用此酒。這款 耐人尋味而不造作的葡萄酒，絕不會讓任何氣泡酒愛好 者失望。 有售於本港零售商Finessa (www.finessa.com.hk)

Recaredo是以有機耕種方式釀造出來自Cava，代表着在 葡萄園中並不使用除草劑、殺蟲劑或化學物品。以種植 在高鈣質土壤上的葡萄釀造Cava，酒的口感會更加清新 爽口，這也是一枝優質Cava的應有特質。與普遍的意見 相反，Cava可以年份收成來陳釀，而這款2007年份經過 40個月陳釀後，再於瓶內陳擺8年後享用，可嚐到箇中 的複雜性及變化。酒中微細的氣泡於口腔內跳動，各方 面也不能給予挑剔苛刻的意見。檸檬及青檸果味非常突 出，同時帶有一點新鮮的青蘋果果味。它比較適合作為 晚飯餐酒多於燒烤時喝上的氣泡酒，其低糖分的特性使 它成為一枝不錯的餐前酒，更有助讓人「醒醒胃」──因 此在喝此酒的時候，也要準備大快朵頤了！我們認為這 酒能配合西班牙海鮮飯一同享用。 有售於本港零售商Cuvees (www.cuvees.com)

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Spanish Eats in Hong Kong 本地西班牙美食之選

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panish food is hardly new to Hong Kong but the quality and consistency of the food has skyrocketed in recent years with super-qualified chefs coming over from Spain and bringing with them their unique style of food to the city and firmly placing the cuisine of Spain in the forefront of people’s minds and palates these days.

The number of restaurants in the city offering all kinds of Spanish food ranges from simple, quick tapas style places such as Estudio Iberico (Great Food Hall, Pacific Place) to what can be construed as ‘fine dining’ at places like Catalunya (G/F, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road). But there are many great places around the city to get your Spanish fix and, if you are like us, a number of great places to sink your teeth into some great Spanish wines.

Boqueria (7/F, LKF Tower) offers some excellent Spanish food, has a great happy hour and is easily accessible for drinks after work whereas, staying on Hong Kong island, Tapeo (19 Hollywood Road) is a relaxed, bar-style eatery that offers some great tapas and is a choice place to take someone on a first date or just somewhere to pop in for a couple of tapas and a chilled glass of Cava; Barcelona style.

One of our favourites in town is Fofo by El Willy (20/F, M88, 2-8 Wellington Street) where Chef Alex Fargas (himself a Catalan from Barcelona) cooks up some of the city’s best fine Spanish comfort food.

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Text by Ali Nicol

譯文：Christie Chan Images 圖像: Solera

西

班牙菜對香港人而言並不陌 生，但近年來其質素及水準大 大提升，當中更有不少餐廳從西班 牙聘請主廚來港打理餐飲業務，將 獨特的西班牙烹煮風格帶到香港， 使西班牙菜成功進駐香港人的心和 肚子裏。 城中有不少餐廳提供西班牙菜式， 你可以在Estudio Iberico(金鐘太古 廣場國際美食廣場GREAT)吃到簡 單便捷的西班牙小吃(tapas)，也可 以在Catalunya(灣仔愛群道32號愛 群商業大廈地下)一嚐「高級餐飲」 的滋味。不過，香港還有許多可以 讓你學學西班牙菜名的食店，更有 些可以讓我們大喝特喝西班牙葡萄 酒的好地方！ Boqueria(中環蘭桂坊德己立街55 號LKF Tower 7樓)的西班牙美食出 色，更提供歡樂時光優惠，地點亦 方便一眾上班族，適合他們於工作 過後到此輕鬆一下。同樣位於港島 區的Tapeo(中環荷李活道19號)是 一間悠閒、帶酒吧風格的食店，餐 牌上不只有西班牙小吃(tapas)，是 個初次約會的理想地方，或是在這 裏吃點小吃，喝點冰凍的Cava氣泡 酒也很不錯；巴塞隆拿風格。 我們最喜歡的西班牙餐廳之一就是 Fofo by El Willy(中環威靈頓街2-8 號M88 20樓)，主廚Alex Fargas(他 是個來自巴塞隆拿的Catalan)烹調 出城中一些最優秀的西班牙美食。

Within the same group, they recently opened La Paloma (1/F, Soho 189, 189 Queen’s Road West) in Sai Wan, a cosy friendly tapas and more restaurant that has, since opening become the talk of the town and that is described by them as “Sexy Tapas” One of the oldest and longest lived Spanish restaurants is Olé (1/F, Shun Ho Tower, 24-30 Ice House Street) which has been serving up quality Spanish fare for almost 18 years and still retained the charm it has always had and continues to wow diners with their “walk around” band that play requests during your dinner.

If sherry is your thing and you want to try lots of it then Ham & Sherry (1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai) is where to get your Jerez-fix. With a concise but limited menu, the food here is excellent, but their focus here is Sherry and with a wine ranging selection of Sherries by the glass you’ll be hard-pushed not to have more than 2 or 3 different styles when you visit.

Not many hotels have dared to move away from the typical Italian restaurants that have always graced top venues but one hotel that has taken the leap forward and opened a Spanish restaurant is the Mira Moon hotel and their Spanish tapas restaurant Supergiant (3/F, Mira Moon Hotel, 388 Jaffe Road) . Drinks or eats, inside or out, Supergiant may have paved the way for more Spanish restaurants in our local hotels here; which can only be a good thing.

But it’s alfresco dining by the beach that really makes one feel they are holidaying in Barcelona and nowhere does this better than Discovery Bay’s Solera (Shop 101, 1/F, D’Deck, Discovery Bay) where you can sit out on the patio overlooking the beach and sip sangria until your heart’s content, or, if you are more for the chilled environment, sit inside and watch the waves gently lapping onto the shore as you indulge in one of the many wines they have on their wine list there.

There are a wealth of new and old Spanish restaurants in town, many more than we have space to write about so look out for new openings in town as time goes by.

Essentially, Spanish dining is all about relaxing, so if you want to taste a little of Spanish culture, lifestyle, food and wine then make your next dinner out a Spanish one.

屬同一集團的La Paloma(西環皇后 大道西189號SoHo 189 1樓)最近於 西環開業，餐廳環境舒適，供應西 班牙小吃及其他美食，開業以來一 直成為城中熱話，更被評為造出「 性感西班牙小吃」的地方。 要數到香港西班牙菜的老店，Olé( 中環雪廠街24-30號順豪商業大廈 1樓)定佔上其中一席位，開業18年 來依然光芒四射，一直令食客回味 無窮，餐廳內還設現場樂隊「邊走 邊奏」，更會即席演奏客人點唱的 歌曲。 如果你雪利酒是「你杯茶」的 話，Ham & Sherry(灣仔船街1-7 號)定必使你「生津解渴」！此店 供應多款雪利酒，你可以在此嚐盡 心頭好。食物選擇不多但卻經精心 挑選，而且還是高質素的美食；然 而，雪利酒才是「主打」，而且可 以每杯點叫，令你難以抗拒再多喝 幾杯不同風格的雪利酒。 酒店內的餐廳常被視為頂尖的高級 食府，因此大部分酒店選擇主理 典型而合眾人口味的意大利菜， 不過，有一間酒店敢走先一步， 以西班牙菜上陣—問月酒店(Mira Moon)旗下的Supergiant(銅鑼灣 謝斐道388號問月酒店3樓)。除了 享受西班牙美食外，你也可在這裏 「飲返杯」，同時可選擇在室內或 戶外飲食，各適其適。Supergiant 的出現只會是件好事，它或會為本 港酒店食府掀起一陣西班牙風。 當你幻想在巴塞隆拿度假，又怎會 少了在沙灘海邊吃上一頓美味晚飯 的場景？要神遊西班牙，相信在香 港沒有比位於愉景灣的Solera(愉景 灣D’Deck 1 樓101號舖)更好的地 方，你可以坐在平台上，望着陽光 與海灘，把Sangria喝個夠。若你 喜歡留在冷氣開放的餐廳內亦可， 一邊挑選着酒單上的多款葡萄酒， 一邊看着海浪拍打岸邊，浪花四淺 的景象。 香港是個世界美食薈萃的地方，城 中的西班牙餐廳當然也為數不少， 多得無法在此一一盡錄，而且還有 更多即將開業的新食點。西班牙 飲食文化的精髓就是輕鬆歡樂的 氣氛，如果你也想嚐到西班牙的風 味、生活態度和美酒佳餚，今天晚 上就到上述的西班牙餐廳去好好感 受一下吧。

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Winemaker Chat – Alejandro Fernández of Pesquera

釀酒師訪問：Pesquera酒莊的Alejandro Fernández

提

到具代表性的西班牙產區，Ribera del Duero產區必定榜上有名，而當中沒有 一個酒莊比Pesquera酒莊的名字更「響噹 噹」。這酒莊在1970年代由富靈感的企業家 Alejandro Fernández所創立，他曾在家族農 場從事有關機械的生意，以工作所得的積蓄成 立了自己的酒莊。現年82歲的Alejandro若非 西班牙最受讚譽及尊重的釀酒師，便當之無愧 為這產區的風雲人物。

Text by Ali Nicol

譯文：Christie Chan

Images 圖像: Tinto Pesquera

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hink of iconic Spanish wine regions and there’s no doubt that Ribera del Duero is up there with the very best of them and no winery name commands as much respect from the region as Pesquera. Founded in the early 1970’s by an inspired and entrepreneuring Alejandro Fernández who used the savings amassed from working at the family’s farm machinery business the now 82 year old winemaker is arguably one of the most lauded and respected winemaker in the region, if not the country.

to wake up at the crack of dawn to walk and inspect his vineyards to this day. A legend in his own right, Alejandro is an inspiration to others and proof that with hard work and good intentions, dreams can come true.

An inspiration to his daughters who have followed in his footsteps into winemaking, Alejandro was named last year as one of the Top 20 Winemakers in the World by FINE Magazine and still continues

Tinto Pesquera wines can be found in Hong Kong from Sens Wine Cellars and other wines from Alejandro Fernández can be found through Jebsen Fine Wines.

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Wine Times Hong Kong caught up with the iconic winemaker and asked him a few questions about his world class wines and how he stays motivated to keep doing what he is doing; so check out what one of the most important men in the wine world has to say on the next page.

A l e j a n d ro 去 年 獲 美 國 時 尚 生 活 雜 誌 F I N E Magazine評為全球二十大頂尖釀酒師之一， 他的釀酒工作並不會假手於人，反之他每天在 破曉時分起來，親力親為於葡萄園裏工作及巡 查。他對葡萄的熱誠不僅薰陶了他的女兒們從 事釀酒業，同時為其他人帶來啟發，以行動證 明了「世上無難事，只怕有心人」。 在WTHK與這位舉足輕重的釀酒師之訪問中， 我們問到有關他所釀造的世界級葡萄酒，以及 他如何保持對釀酒的熱衷不減。 Tinto Pesquera酒莊的葡萄酒於本港酒零售 商Sens Wine Cellars有售；其他由Alejandro Fernández釀造的葡萄酒則於本港酒零售商 Jebsen Fine Wines有售。

Interview Time 訪談時間 WTHK: Other than your own wines, what wines excite you the most these days? 除了你所釀造的葡萄酒外，還有甚麼酒令你感到興趣呢？ AF: “I enjoy old wines. The wines that have aged for a long time and they have been kept in the best conditions.

That’s the reason that I started to keep some bottles of each vintage, to enjoy those-ones long time later.”

WTHK: What inspired you to start Pesquera back in the 1970’s? 回想到1970年代，你如何受到啟發而建立了Pesquera 酒莊？ AF: “I always loved wine since I was a child. I used to make wines with my parents at home when I was young and I thought ‘if one day I have enough money, I will plant vines and I will build a winery’. It wasn’t an inspiration, it was a hobby and I wanted to do it. I loved to make wine and I had ideas to make a good wine. When someone wants to make something in this way, it isn’t work.”

AF：「我自小便喜愛葡萄酒，小時候曾與父母一同釀 造自己的葡萄酒，當時我想：『如果有一天我有足夠的 錢，我會建立一個酒莊和種植自己的葡萄藤。』其實， 這不是受到啟發，而是一項喜好，是我自己想做的事。 我喜愛釀酒，我也有自己的方法去釀出好酒。當你做以 自己的方式去做自己喜歡的事，這並不是工作。」 WTHK: Did you think you would still be working at 82 years old and what is your motivation each day to keep doing it? 你有否想過你會工作至今天82歲？你如何激勵自己保 持這種動力？ AF: “I’ve never thought about that! I have used my whole life to do this. I didn’t think if I would like to continue in the future or not. But I don’t feel like it’s a job because I love the world of wine. If I had really felt like its work, I couldn’t have done it for so many years.”

AF：「我從沒想過呢！我這一生也在釀酒，但我沒想 過之後的日子我會否繼續從事釀酒『工作』；事實上我 不當釀酒是『工作』，因為我熱愛葡萄酒，否則多年來 我不會一直在釀酒。」 WTHK: I assume you’re the inspiration for your daughters going into the wine industry? Are you proud of their achievements thus far? 你的女兒們也從事釀酒業，我想是因為受到你的啟發 吧。你為她們現時的成就感到驕傲嗎？ AF: “Yes, I’m proud of them. Over all because they are hard-working women and they enjoy the wine world. They manage the business really well. Just have a look how far we have arrived in the latest years.”

AF：「是的，我以她們為榮。主要因為她們願意辛勞 工作，而且享受及喜愛葡萄酒。她們把酒莊打理得真的 很好，看看近年來酒莊的成就便知道了。」

AF：「我喜歡陳釀的葡萄酒，它們長時間在最佳的狀 態下陳釀，所以我開始收藏每個年份的葡萄酒，以供 日後享用。」 WTHK: Does the future look bright for Ribera del Duero – or is it being overshadowed by “new” regions such as Montsant or Priorat? 你認為Ribera del Duero產區的發展將會是一片光明嗎？ 還是被Montsant或Priorat這些「新」產區比下去？ AF: “I think that the Ribera del Duero could be the best place to take care of vineyards and make wine. Actually, I think that the two Castillas (Castilla y León and Castilla La Mancha) have the best plots to plant vineyards and make wine.”

AF：「我認為Ribera del Duero產區可以是種植葡萄 及釀酒的最佳地方。其實，我認為Castilla y León和 Castilla La Mancha這兩個小區，擁有最好的地段去種 植葡萄及釀酒。」 WTHK: What makes Ribera del Duero wines stand out among others? 為甚麼Ribera del Duero產區的葡萄酒能夠脫穎而 出？ AF: “In the both Castillas we have a good climate and the best Tempranillo grapes. I think that there is no place around the world with a better climate and better quality grapes.”

AF：「兩個Castilla小區擁有好的氣候，能種出最好的 Tempranillo葡萄，我認為地球上沒有其他地方能有比 其更好的氣候，並種出更佳品質的葡萄。」 WTHK: I hear you’re a good singer? Is that a passion of yours? 聽說你的歌喉很不錯，唱歌是你的興趣嗎？ AF: “I’m not a good singer, but I love to sing and enjoy.

Wine helps you because it gives happiness to the people that drink it. After you drink a fine wine, you will always have a clear mind. If everybody would drink a couple of glasses of wine with their meals, the world would be happier and healthier place. ” AF：「我不是個好歌手，不過我喜歡唱歌，也享受 唱歌。葡萄酒能帶給飲者開心歡樂，當你喝過葡萄酒 後，你的思想會變得清晰。如果所有人在用餐時也喝 上一兩杯，這個世界將會變得更開心而健康呢。」 winetimeshk.com 39

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Three Old Men; Four Old Wines 三個「佬」 四枝酒 Reuben M Managing Editor of Wine Times Macau

Text & Photography by Reuben M 譯文：Christie Chan 攝影：Reuben M

A career expat, a freelance sommelier and a wine writer who lives in Macau. He is managing editor of Wine Times Macau on Facebook where he also publishes two video blogs: Reuben’s Regulars and Reuben M’s Appéllation Trail.

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ike many locals and long-term immigrants, I consider the restaurant at IFT (the Institute for Tourism Studies – Instituto de Formação de Turistica) one of “my little secrets,” the sort of place only Macau cognoscenti – such as my extremely humble self – know about, and share only guardedly and with close friends or business associates we want to impress.

We can’t have the entire town finding out about our little slice of Heaven—why, it’d be overrun!

Fortunately, the remote and somewhat inaccessible location (the very tippy-top of the hill at Mong Ha) means that to get there (and moreover, to get out), you have to want it baaaaad.

And who wouldn’t? A stunning menu featuring Portuguese and fusion cuisine that changes quarterly if not more frequently, impeccable service in just about any language you’ve got in your repertoire, a stunningly well stocked and appointed bar and one of the best wine lists in town (even still…) make it a perfect rendezvous for lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. Just don’t go blabbing it all about town, okay?

whichever city, on whichever continent.

(FULL DISCLOSURE: This luncheon was meant to be a review of Macau’s trendy and somewhat new restaurant and tapas bar Barcelona – get it? Bar-celona??

– since Ali had only just returned from one of his many wine-soaked excursions abroad, this time to Spain. However, it was discovered, fortunately and only just in the nick of time, that Barcelona doesn’t open for lunch, and David very graciously arranged a rich table upon which we shared many stunning Spanish wines. Watch these pages for Barcelona review COMING SOON!) We began with IFT’s unrivalled make-you-slap-yo-mama-in-thamouth® bread basket and a Solanera 2012 Old Vines, a blend

與

許多澳門人及長期移民一樣，我視IFT(旅遊 學院教學餐廳－Instituto de Formação de Turistica)為心中的「秘密花園」—只有澳門的「地 頭蟲」(例如我本人)才知道有這地方，需要經考慮 後才能與密友分享，或是宴請貴賓或生意夥伴才會 到這裏來。為甚麼？因為「秘密花園」不夠秘密的 話，就不再是「秘密花園」！我又怎麼可以讓這個 好地方變得擠人呢。可幸的是，餐廳的地理位置不 易到達(處於望廈山的尖頂)，因此如果你長途跋涉 來到此地(也要長途跋涉地離開)，意味着你必定很 想很想吃到這裏的美食。 但是，為了吃到令人驚嘆的葡國菜和融合多國風味 的美食，加上無何挑剔、提供多種語言的餐飲服務 以及設備齊全的酒吧，同時享受到酒單上來自世界 各地的美酒，進午餐、下午茶或晚餐都會是個完美 的約會地點，所以誰會介意那一點點的路途遙遠 呢？只要你不要「四圍唱」便行了，好嗎？ 這次，我有幸親自與IFT的行政副經理兼著名酒評 人David Wong會面，更有WTHK「永不喊累」的 Ali Nicol作伴，一同到IFT享用美酒佳餚。我真的認 為Ali有個雙胞胎或三胞胎的兄弟，不論我參與在哪

On Wednesday 17 June, I had the good fortune to meet not only with IFT’s own Executive Assistant Manager and famous wine writer (and a whole lot more!) David Wong, but also Wine Times HK’s indefatigable Ali Nicol, whom I am convinced is actually twins or maybe triplets, since he is already at every wine event I attend, in

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of 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre), 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Grenache – no Tempranillo! – aged 10 months in a combination of French and American oak. It was dark cherry-red, with a complex nose, spiced and elegant: ripe fruit and pleasant wood notes. On the palate it was rich and balanced, with elegant sweet round tannins.

It exhibited notes of lead pencil shavings, black raspberries, black currants and blueberries.

Next came our appetizer, a scrumptious (yes, straight men can use “scrumptious” too. Shut up.) ostrich carpaccio – not terribly Spanish, I know, but prepared in anticipation of the September 9 wine dinner at IFT with the South African Consul General, and here’s where we broke out the big guns: Vega Sicilia “Unico” 1999 (Ribera del Duero DO). For the uninitiated (which I was: I made the mistake of confessing I’d never had Vega Sicilia, and my companions flashed me a look normally reserved for medical waste found washed up on the beach. Hint: When it comes

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to the best wine of the meal, never admit that you haven’t tried it), Vega Sicilia is one of Spain’s oldest and most storied wine estates. Founded in 1864, it is seen as one of Spain's most aristocratic and traditional vineyards. Their two iconic wines, Unico and Valbuena, were launched in 1915, though the first bottles were distributed only to Spain's bourgeoisie, usually offered by the winery as gifts to family friends, helping to foster Vega Sicilia's reputation for exclusivity. Unico comes from the estate's older vines and is made from Tinto Fino with Cabernet Sauvignon and a little Merlot, aged in a 50/50 blend of French and American oak.

The wine itself displayed fantastically dark, deep colour, balsamic richness with elegant glimpses of florality and blue/black fruit intensity on the nose. There were exotic hints of sandalwood.

On the palate there was intense, concentrated fruit that was ripe and juicy with plenty of blackcurrant.

That balsamic quality of real substance was there; I found it

一個國家舉行的品酒活動，我總會看到他的身影。 (公開披露：Ali經常出外展開葡萄酒之旅，而由 於最近他遊歷了西班牙，因此我們本想為讀者 推介澳門潮流西班牙食府暨tapas酒吧Barcelona──Bar-celona，明白了嗎？不過，抵達Barcelona酒吧餐廳才知道其營業時間不設午市，而 幸運地在此關鍵時刻，慷慨客氣的David為我們在 IFT安排了一頓午飯，一同嚐到不少西班牙美酒。 所以，敬請各位讀者期待即將刊登的Barcelona食 評！) 這一頓午飯以美味無比的麵包籃配以Solanera 2012 Old Vines紅酒開始，這酒由70% Monastrell (Mourvedre)、15% Cabernet Sauvignon以及 15% Grenache葡萄所釀造──沒有Tempranillo葡 萄！而且酒在美、法混合橡木桶中待上10個月。酒 的顏色為深沉的櫻桃色，香氣具層次，帶香料氣味 而優雅：熟果和怡人的香木氣味。其口感豐富而平 衡，具優雅帶甜的單寧，顯現出鉛筆屑、黑木莓、 黑加侖子及藍莓果味。 頭盤為美味非常的冰駝鳥片(ostrich carpaccio)， 我知道這道菜並算不上是西班牙菜，但它是餐廳為 南非領事館的品酒晚宴而特別準備的菜式，而我們 以Vega Sicilia “Unico” 1999 (Ribera del Duero DO)紅酒作配搭。或許外行人不知道，Vega Sicilia 酒莊是西班牙其中一個最古老及最具故事性的酒莊 (我就是其中一個外行人，以為自己從未嚐過Vega Sicilia酒莊的葡萄酒，同行的兩位聽到我這說法，

almost literally chewy, with spices and chocolatey notes, massive but supple, creamy tannins and excellent, freshening acidity. In short, everything it’s cracked up to be.

By this time our main course had arrived, two heaping pans of an unusually generous paella, overflowing with prawns, clams, beautifully orange mussels and all manner of fruits de mer; or should I say mariscos? Subsequent wines were sampled alongside this classic Spanish dish. They did not disappoint: In 1858, Don Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga, the Marqués de Riscal, brought groundbreaking winemaking techniques (from Bordeaux of all places!) and transformed the face of Rioja. The Reserva is one of their iconic wines, widely regarded as a top example of traditional Rioja. We tasted the Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2004, a classic Reserva. Full bodied and muscular, yet smooth, polished and embellished with complex aromas of vanilla and toasted oak, combined with summer fruit flavours.

And finally as we tucked into the last of the paella, a bottle of Pintia Toro Cosecha 2005, previously unchilled and considered too warm to open, was deemed ready.

Bodegas Pintia is owned by Vega Sicilia and is located further west along the Duero River inside the warmer D.O. of Toro. The estate owns 96 hectares. The first vintage released was the 2001. As for the 2005, it is 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) aged for one year in new French and American oak. With opaque purple colour, it offered a complex nose of toast, pencil lead, spice, black cherry, and blackberry.

This led to a full-bodied, ripe, layered wine with intense flavours, serious complexity, and exceptional length. Despite its already advanced age, it appears to still be developing in the bottle and could be lain down for five more years and drink well through 2025 and beyond.

A double espresso and a whopping trip to IFT’s irresistible dessert buffet put the cap on this most memorable lavish luncheon with old friends and splendid Spanish food and wines. As always, I was regrettably obliged to leave my companions at the table and flee.

Can’t wait till next time!

露出錯愕非常的表情，他們彷彿在海灘上看到醫療 廢棄物被沖上岸邊。小貼士：當你嚐到一頓飯上最 好的佳釀，千萬不要承認你從未嚐過這酒)。 這個酒莊於1864年成立，更被視為西班牙最貴族 式及最傳統的葡萄園之一，其中兩款代表作便是於 1915年推出的Unico和Valbuena，不過初推出的 幾批葡萄酒只供當時西班牙的資產階級所享用，多 數贈予貴族親戚，使Vega Sicilia酒莊的名聲更獨佔 鰲頭。Unico紅酒以Tinto Fino、Cabernet Sauvignon和少許Merlot葡萄釀造，所用葡萄亦收成自 較老的葡萄藤，並在50/50的美、法混合橡木桶中 釀製。 這款酒呈現美妙的深沉顏色，如濃濃的黑醋般；酒 香為深味的黑果果香，並隱隱帶有花香和檀香；其 果味十足，充滿濃郁的熟果和黑加侖子。這酒擁有 真正的黑醋特質，幾乎有嚼勁而帶大量的香料和巧 克力，口感卻是柔嫩細緻，單寧順滑，具非常好的 酸度而不乏清新。總之，各方面皆「有讚無彈」。 主菜為兩大鍋西班牙海鮮飯，份量大得如兩座小山 丘般，堆着滿滿的鮮蝦、蜆、亮橙色的青口，我該 說這是「大海中的水果(fruits de mer)」，還只是 簡單的「海鮮(mariscos)」？這道經典的西班牙菜 又怎會少了葡萄酒的配搭呢，我們所選的葡萄酒並 沒令人失望： 早於1858年，Marqués de Riscal酒莊的釀酒師 Don Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga從法國波爾 多引入了突破性的釀酒技術，自始改寫了Rioja產 區的命運。Reserva是酒莊的「皇牌」，更被視為 上好的Rioja紅酒指標。我們嚐了一款經典的Reserva：Marques de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2004。 酒體厚身而帶剛勁，口感卻細滑有緻，以具層次的 雲呢拿和已烤橡木的香氣點綴，更帶有夏日水果的 果味。 當我們差不多把全部的西班牙海鮮飯吃完時，準備 把之前還未夠凍的Pintia Toro Cosecha 2005白酒 開瓶。Bodegas Pintia酒莊由Vega Sicilia酒莊所 擁有，位於沿斗羅河(Duero River)較遠西邊而氣候 較暖的Toro D.O.產區，佔地96公頃。酒莊首個推 出的年份為2001，而2005年份以100%的Tinta de Toro(Tempranillo)葡萄釀造，並在新的美、法混合 橡木桶中待上一年時間。酒色為乳濁的紫色，散發 出具層次而複雜的香氣，當中有麵包、鉛筆芯、香 料、黑櫻桃和黑莓。豐盈酒體中含有層次而濃郁的 熟果果味，其複雜性極高，餘韻也特別的長。雖然 這酒經已陳釀，但它似乎仍在瓶中不斷變化，可多 待5年以上或至2025年或以後。 一杯特濃咖啡加上IFT驚人的自助甜品，為這頓豐 盛且難忘的午飯劃上完美句號。可惜我另有要事而 不能在多留一會，未許與同行的兩位回味吃到、喝 到的西班牙美酒與美食。等不及大喊「Encore」( 再來一次)呢！

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Whine-on: Ask us whatever you like! 讀者專欄：想問就問！

Have any doubts or questions about wine? Send us an email at md@winetimeshk.com or leave a message on our Facebook page at facebook.com/winetimeshk and we will bust the answer for you! 你有任何關於酒的疑問嗎？請寄電郵到md@winetimeshk.com或在我們的 Facebook 專頁facebook.com/winetimeshk留言，隨便發問！我們樂意為你解開 每個疑難！ Q1: Can I make my own wine at home? – Fanny; Sheung Wan 我可以在家釀造葡萄酒嗎？—Fanny；上環

Answer: You can Fanny! But you will need to get online and get the right equipment and ingredients if you want your wine to be drinkable! There are many websites based in the UK that sell ‘Home Winemaking Kits’ so you can always order these online and follow the instructions that they offer. Alternatively, you can follow our own Dr. Galli’s advice and make your own Mead at home (Issue 6). Mead is fermented ‘honey wine’ that is pretty easy to make at home and only takes a few weeks to ferment. But do please take care and make sure that all the equipment used is clean and sterile; for ensured safely, get online and follow the instructions laid out by the professionals. We would also recommend that you do it in the winter as this time of year seems rather hot to make wine in your living room!

答： 可以的！但你需要網購合適的釀酒工具及原材料，才能 釀造出可以入口的葡萄酒！網上有不少源自英國的網 站，售賣「家中釀酒工具套裝」，所以你可從這些網站 購得所需用具，並接其指示釀造葡萄酒。另外，你也可 以參照我們的酒博士Dr. Galli的專欄，釀造自家蜂蜜酒 (Issue 6 – 第六期)。顧名思義，蜂蜜酒就是經發酵的蜂 蜜所釀製，釀造方法簡易，需時只要數星期。不過，你 需加倍小心確保所有用具均為潔淨無菌，最好參照網絡 上的專業意見。我們也建議你在冬季才開始釀酒，因為 香港夏日的溫度太高了，家中可能不適合釀酒呢。

Q2: Are cheap wines as bad as you critics make them out to be? – Dixon; Ngau Tau Kok 價格便宜的葡萄酒其品質如酒評般差劣嗎？—Dixon；牛頭角

Answer: Well Dixon; in theory there is no such thing as a bad wine. In fact, a wine is only bad for three reasons. Firstly, bad winemaking practices in a dirty cellar can lead to a wine that is just, well…nasty. Secondly, a wine can be cooked (where it has been exposed to too much heat), corked (where the cork has imparted negative tastes to the wine) and oxidised (where the wine has been overly exposed to air and the wine has had a chemical reaction turning it to vinegar). A bad wine is only really bad if you don’t like it and as we all know, wine is a very subjective topic – wines that some like, others won’t like. So, my advice would be don’t listen to critics too much (they get paid to tell you what they like) and use your own best judgement to decipher what you think is a good or a bad wine.

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答： 理論上，世上並沒有差劣的葡萄酒。事實上，葡萄酒 只有三個原因能令它變壞變差。第一，不良的釀酒方 式，例如在骯髒的地窖中釀造的葡萄酒...就只有污穢。 第二，葡萄酒會因高溫、用以封瓶的木塞(木塞使葡萄 酒沾染了非預期的味道)或過度氧化(葡萄酒過度與空氣 接觸會變成酸醋)而變壞。一枝差劣的葡萄酒，說到底 也只是你不喜歡的酒而已，畢竟葡萄酒口味講求主觀 感覺—有些人喜歡，有些人則不喜歡。因此，我的建議 是，盡量不要道聽途說，許多酒評人只是受薪來告訴你 該喜歡些甚麼的葡萄酒，反之該以自己的判斷評鑑葡萄 酒是好是壞。

Q3: Why are there no good bag-in-the-box wines in Hong Kong? – Shane; Central 為何香港找不到質優的盒裝葡萄酒？—Shane；中環

Answer: Hey Shane – guessing you’re an Aussie? You guys in Australia are fortunate in the way that you do get some very decent bag in the box wines down under and you’re right, there are really no decent wines here in that format. Why is a difficult question to answer as we are not wine importers but our best guess is that the negative connotations with bag in the box make it a tough sell in bars, restaurants and supermarkets here in the city. Not all bag in the box wines are bad….just the ones that are sold here in Hong Kong! We are with you and wish there were some decent bag in the box wines as we think they are great for BBQ’s, boat trips and beach parties. All we can suggest is that you get in touch with the guys art Joyvino (www.joyvino.com) as they may be able to point you in the right direction.

答： 這位讀者是澳洲人嗎？居住於澳洲的人有福了，因為在 澳洲可以買得到品質不錯的盒裝葡萄酒，不過他是對 的，在香港並沒有「似樣少少」的盒裝葡萄酒。對於非 葡萄酒進口商的我們來說，這問題有點難度，而我們猜 想原因在於盒裝葡萄酒的名聲不佳，在酒吧、餐廳及超 級市場的銷情冷淡。並非所有盒裝葡萄酒也是品質差 劣的…只是在香港有售的盒裝葡萄酒才是！我們與你一 樣，希望香港的入口商會考慮引入不錯的盒裝葡萄酒， 方便我們在戶外燒烤及舉行沙灘或海上派對時飲用。我 們只可建議你與Joyvino聯絡(www.joyvino.com)，或 許他們能供應你所求的。

Q4: Why are there so few wines from Portugal in Hong Kong? – Jorge; Discovery Bay 為甚麼香港有售的葡萄牙葡萄酒那麼少？—Jorge；愉景灣

Answer: Good question Jorge. There has been for decades a monopoly on Portuguese wines held by those in Macau – not in business terms just that those in Hong Kong were never able to compete on price with the importers in Macau as the former colony always had tax free imports on Portuguese wines. Now that there are no taxes in either Hong Kong or Macau we are slowly seeing some decent Portuguese wines in the city. Look out for companies such as Adega Royale who recently opened up an office here to sell Portuguese wines – I know they have some good stuff. Failing that, head to Macau and pick some up and hand carry a few bottles back with you.

答： 好問題。澳門幾十年來一直獨攬了葡萄牙葡萄酒的市 場，這並不是市場經濟上的壟斷，只是因為香港的入口 商不能獲得任何稅項優惠，而澳門作為葡萄牙的前殖民 地，因此享有免稅政策，令香港入口商難以與澳門入口 商競爭。然而，現時港澳兩地均享有免稅政策，出現在 香港市場上的葡萄牙葡萄酒也逐漸增多。你可向正在香 港發展的零售商Adega Royale查詢，該公司主打進口 產自葡萄牙的葡萄酒，而且我知道他們有售不錯的貨 品。否則，你可以到澳門時購買幾枝葡萄酒回來慢慢 享用。

Q5: Can I get my own label wines in Hong Kong? – Jasmine; Happy Valley 在香港能否設計自己的酒標？—Jasmine；跑馬地

Answer: You can get your own label wines here in the city Jasmine – but normally this will entail buying a substantial number of cases of wine. This is because it costs a lot to make the labels and thus, you will need to order a number of cases to keep the price down.

Essentially, you can get your own label wines from companies like Golden Gate Wine (contact Fifi by email on fifi@goldengatewine. com) and she will be able to help you out. So, for that party or anniversary you are planning, you’ll be able to get your own label wine – just don’t expect to be able to order one or two bottles.

答： 可以的，但你可能要購買上為數不少、以箱計算的葡萄 酒。這因為製造自己的酒標花費甚多，所以你需要多購 買些葡萄酒來拉低平衡價格。基本上，你可以從Golden Gate Wine等公司製造自己的酒標(如有需要，可電 郵至fifi@goldengatewine.com與Fifi聯絡)。如果你算 於派對上喝着印有自己酒標的葡萄酒，其實是有渠道 的—只是不能預訂少得只有一、兩枝葡萄酒。

Q6: It’s summer; what is the best wine to drink? – Marcus; Tsim Sha Tsui 正值炎夏最適合喝甚麼葡萄酒？—Marcus；尖沙咀

Answer: Any wine is great to drink in the summer Marcus because we so heavily air condition our houses, bars and restaurants. However, if you are looking for wines to drink outside in the summer heat look for crisp refreshing whites such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño or Chenin Blanc. Essentially, wines made from warmer countries (Spain, Australia for example) are made for warmer weather and thus, these wines are great for the summer. Alternatively, if you are not too macho you can always drink rosé as this is a perfect style of wine for our Hong Kong summers. Look for Provence style rosé as this is more crisp and refreshing without the super high levels of sugar that are often found in rosé from the New World.

答： 任何種類的葡萄酒也適合在夏日享用的，主要因為香 港處處均冷氣開放。不過，如果你指的是在炎熱戶外 時喝的葡萄酒，你可以選擇口感爽口清新的白酒，例 如Riesling、Sauvignon Blanc、Albariño和Chenin Blanc。基本上，產自較暖地區的葡萄酒較適合在較暖 的天氣下飲用(例如西班牙和澳洲)，因為其也是為了配 合產地本身的氣候而釀造。另外，如果你並非是個滿腦 子大男人主義的人，你也可以嚐嚐rosé，其口味與香港 的炎夏十分配合，你可以選擇Provence風格的rosé， 其糖分不高，多為產自新世界國家。

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Jobs provided by

以下職位由Wine Jobs HK提供

Recruitment in the wine business 人才招聘

Find out more wine job vacancies at www.winejobshongkong.com/ 請瀏覽以上網址查詢更多職位空缺

Sales Manager

Wine Sales Executive

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

營業經理 Altaya Wines Limited - Responsible for day-to-day sales operation include daily sales performance.

- Provide professional customer services and be responsible for sales developing on & off. trade channel, including hotels, restaurant, bars and retail shops, etc.

- Manage payment collection of all gained accounts efficiently.

- Sales driven, dynamic and very sociable focus on developing new accounts while maintaining the existing customers.

- Develop sales in accordance with sales development plan and the company procedures and policy.

- Arrange and coordinate local tasting and marketing events for overseas suppliers when in Hong Kong.

- A team player between different departments of the company.

Requirements: -

Diploma or above.

WSET Level 2 or above.

At least 2 years in F&B industry with wine experience.

With an outgoing and pleasing personality, good team player.

Good command of spoken and written English and Chinese.

Immediately available is highly preferred.

Strong sales, marketing, key account and distributor management skills.

Results-driven and self-motivated person with flexible and dynamic work attitude.

Interested parties please send your resume with expected salary and available date to hr@altayawines.com

葡萄酒營業代表 Grand Wine Cellar -

Responsible for daily office and shop operations ; Coordinate for the promotional activities such as wine tasting events, trade exhibitions and ad hoc assignments 6 working days a week from 10:00 -19:00 or 12:00 – 21:00.

Working at Sheung Wan;

Requirements:

- Enjoy wine and wine culture. Knowledge of wines will be an advantage.

- 1-2 years sales experience, preferable in wine, retail or hospitality industry.

- Pleasant personality, good communication skills, service oriented, energetic and positive.

- Good command of spoken English, Mandarin and Cantonese - Form 5 graduate or above We are hiring for the position of Sales Executive who will bring us new clients on a monthly basis. Madison is in its expansion phase and seeking to enlarge its sales team.

Interested parties please send your full resume to shop.central@ gwc.com.hk

Sales Manager

營業經理 East Meets West Fine Wines

Responsibilities:

Admin Assistant JD 行政助理 Wine and More Ltd

Responsibilities: -

Responsible for ensuring smooth daily office operations Handle customer enquiries and provide excellent customer services Liaise and coordinate with various parties Personal assistant duties to the company CEO Other ad hoc duties assigned by the supervisor

Requirements: -

Fluent in English and Cantonese Proficiency in Microsoft Office softwares; Any skills on Photoshop/Illustrator a strong plus Organised, proactive and can work under stress Willing to learn and ability to multi-task Some working experience preferred; but fresh graduates are also welcome Interested parties please send detailed resume with your expected salary to fay@italysmallvineyards.com in MS word or PDF format.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence and personal data collected will be used for recruitment related purpose only.

- To be very familiarize with all company products and its categorized pricing structure prior to approach customers - Capable to utilize company’s competitive advantage (collective resources and market positioning) in doing business in regional markets - Implement national Hotel Agreement in designated territories - To work due-diligently in developing new potential on trade accounts in the designated territory and subsequently increase sales volume within company guidelines - Plans an effective sales targeting approach to the assigned sales territory - To compile projected profit and loss statement (deal sheet) for all promotion events and keep track on the actual result for future reference - To follow through on their daily operation requirement in terms of inventory management (placing order, delivery and replacement) training needs - Be on full alert on market trend of imported wine market trend by closely followed up on local newspaper, magazine, internet and other media - To be very prudent when negotiate on payment terms for contract and should strictly adhered to company policy unless approved by senior management - To be responsible for month end payment collection for the assigned accounts and alert management when in doubt

Requirements:

- Minimum 3 years of the relevant experience in wine, luxury or F&B - With an outgoing and pleasing personality , good team player, dynamic, self-motivated and able to work under pressure - Knowledge of wine, customer expectations and brand(s) - Excellent in English, fluent Cantonese is must - Less experience will consider as Sales Executive If you are interested in this position, please send your resume directly to cherry.shen@emw-wines.com for recruiting process.

Looking for staff? Contact us at md@winetimeshk.com and we will add your search to our job page.

48 winetimeshk.com